Hakuouki: The Will to Live
by mocha11
Summary: The story is about Okita Souji and his tale when he encounters Chizuru, and how his life changes forever. The story will be longer than 20 chapters, I'm not sure how long yet though. Rated T for violence, strong language, alcohol references, and suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my first fanfic, so I would really appreaciate reviews.**

**NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HAKUOUKI OR ANY OF ITS AMAZING CHARACTERS.**

**Summary: This is the story of the playful, sarcastic, (good-looking), and determined Souji Okita. I will try to somewhat follow his story to the game, but it will have some of my own extras.**

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Chapter 1: The Encounter

The night was cold and windy. The sky was a marvelous painting, with the moon casting a silver glow to the clouds surrounding it. No one was out in the city of Kyoto, which was expected considering it was the middle of the night. Okita Souji was running through the empty streets, his steps barely a whisper. A smirk was plastered on his face, his hand was already on the hilt of his sword, anxious to kill. He knew that his current situation was serious, but he couldn't help his need for fun. His eyes scanned the streets carefully for any of the furies that had escaped from headquarters. He suddenly stopped when he heard the distant moans and rasping laughter of the furies. He approached the alley, almost letting out a laugh of glee, but his hopes vanished when he turned onto the corner. He saw his comrade standing calmly next to the dead corpses of the monsters, he had finished the job.

"What a pity", Souji almost whined.

A pair of stoic blue eyes met Souji's emerald gaze.

"I wanted to kill both of them myself. You were fast this time, Hajime-kun", Souji sighed afterwards in defeat.

"I only did as my duty required", Saito Hajime replied in his usual mono-toned voice.

Souji finally caught up to him when he noticed a girl, hidden behind several small crates, staring up at the two men in awe and fright. Souji grinned at the girl's terrified expression when her huge brown orbs met his. Before she could say anything, she gasped when she caught sight of a sword just inches away from her throat.

"Listen, don't try to run", a familiar stern voice commanded.

"If you try to run, I'll kill you", threatened Hijikata Toshizou.

The girl must have been ultimately frightened because she seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. Snow started to fall gently, illuminated beautifully to look like sakura petals. Souji nearly laughed at the irony of the scene. Beautiful snow falling on the dead, atrocious corpses. His attention shifted to sound of the girl's body hitting the ground.

"My, my, did she faint because you scared her, Hijikata-san?" Souji asked in his playful tone, while kneeling down next to the girl's body.

"Vice-captain, what do we do with the bodies?", Saito asked without getting off track.

"Just remove their coats and let the inspectors handle the rest", Hjikata didn't hesitate to respond, ignoring Souji's first remark. Saito proceeded to removing the coats.

"What do we do with this one?", Souji shifted the attention back to the girl.

Hijikata furrowed his brows at the girl's limp body.

"We'll take her back to the headquarters with us", instructed Hijikata.

"Eh? Is it safe not to kill her? She saw what happened", Souji quesitoned. It would have been easier to just kill her now before she could tell anyone about tonight's events, plus it would save Souji the effort of dragging her to headquarters. Hijikata paused for a moment, carefully thinking out his response.

"We'll decide what we do with her after we return" Hijikata turned away, not wanting to further drag out the conversation. With that said, Hijikata and Saito started their way back towards headquarters, leaving Souji to carry the girl over his shoulder.

"This is going to be interesting", a playful smirk stretched across Souji's face as he descended into the night towards home.

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**What do you guys think? There will be more soon to come, so stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I know it was pretty short because it was the intro, but the story will progress. Just a heads-ups, it will take me some time to upload future chapters, there is a lot going on right now, but I will try to do the best I can.**

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Chapter 2: The Meeting

The sun rose bright and early, causing Souji to get out of bed. After he got dressed and made his futon, he walked into the dining room where he could smell breakfast being made. He sat down next to Saito just as Harada Sanosuke and Toudou Heisuke brought out everyone's tray of food. Breakfast was normal with the usual conversations about patrols, and soon enough Shinpachi Nagakura started to steal Heisuke's food, which led on to them completely forgetting their table manners. Eventually, there was nothing else to talk about, except last night's events, which everyone avoided to discuss.

Finally, Kondo Isami spoke up and asked, "What happened after the furies got out?". Hijikata stiffened, but he stood up, everyone's eyes were trained on him.

"Let's discuss this in the meeting room", and with that, Hijikata departed from the dining room and started to walk towards the meeting room. Everyone else followed Hijikata and took their usual spots in the meeting room. It was a small room, but it was big enough for all the captains to gather around, and it gave them the privacy they needed away from the rest of the Shinsengumi.

"Well then Hijikata-san, what happened?", asked Harada.

"We were able to find the furies and kill them, but they killed three ronin last night", replied Hijikata in a stale voice.

"So if you guys took care of them there's nothing to worry about, right?", Shinpachi asked.

"Not quite", interjected Souji in his teasing voice.

"A kid saw everything that happened and passed out as soon as we got there", Souji continued.

The others were processing all the information they just heard, while Hijikata turned to Inoue Genzaburo.

"Go get the child", ordered Hijikata, then Inoue took his leave.

"What! You brought the kid here?", questioned Heisuke.

"We still have to interrogate her, it was necessary", stated Hijikata

"I thought it would've been a better idea to just kill the brat", Souji teased. Everyone either frowned or rolled their eyes at Souji's constant sarcasm, but their attention shifted to the door when it slid open to reveal the young girl from last night, who walked in along with Inoue. She looked around at everyone nervously as she made her way in.

"Good morning!", Souji greeted her with a smirk. Her eyes widened a little when she met his gaze, immediately recognizing him.

"Looks like you slept well, considering that you have tatami marks on your face", Souji teased her, while giving her a mischievous grin.

"W-What!?", the girl stuttered, her face already turning red in embarrassment while attempting to cover it with her tied hands.

"He's only joking, you don't have any tatami patterns on your face", Saito told the girl, immediately putting an end to Souji's amusement.

"Hmph. You're no fun at all, Hajime-kun", Souji pretended to pout.

"That's enough", Yamanami Keisuke, better known as Sannan-san, interjected.

"Hello! Please come in", Kondo welcomed the girl warmly. She closed the door and took a seat in front of the men. As she adjusted to her spot, the men observed her. Heisuke commented on the fact that she was only a kid, then Harada and Shinpachi started to make fun of him for being a kid too. Soon afterwards, Kondo started to introduce everyone to the girl. Hijikata interrupted him, stating that there was no reason to introduce themselves to a prisoner. Souji almost laughed at Kondo's ill-placed kindness, but it was one of the reasons that made Kondo the respectable commander of the Shinsengumi. After Kondo apologized for his careless mistake, he cleared his throat.

"Souji told me what you saw last night, is it true?", Kondo asked, a little more serious now. The girl stiffened at the accusation against her.

"No! That's not true! I didn't see anything at all last night!", the girl immediately defended herself.

"Really? So you weren't with the other ronin?", Souji asked this time. Before she could answer, Souji cut her off.

"Let's just kill her already", Souji suggested in his playful tone, to which the girl could not tell if he was joking or not. Panic started to seep through the girl.

"I wasn't with the ronin at all! They were chasing me, so I hid in the alley, and that's when those monsters appeared and started killing the ronin. They were about to kill me too, but then you guys showed up and stopped them, so in a way I was saved by all of you", the girl spoke quickly, but she wasn't lying. Souji chuckled at the girl's honesty. He noticed that the girl had just contradicted what she had said earlier before.

"Wow, you really are honest, aren't you?", he questioned playfully. The girl's eyes widened with fear as she realized her mistake, then Saito got up and walked towards her. He began to drag her out of the room when the girl pleaded for her life.

"Wait! I can't die yet! There are things that I still must do!", the girl cried out in desperation, almost sobbing while she was squirming under Saito's firm grip.

"If you have strong reasons to live, then please, don't hesitate to share them", Hijikata advised sternly, giving the girl one more chance. Saito released his grip on the girl and returned to his original spot on the floor.

"You can start by telling us your name", Sannan-san instructed in a nice tone. The girl sat down again, while the rest of the room stood silent to listen to her response. The girl inhaled deeply to steady her breathing. Finally, she worked up the nerve and spoke.

"My name is Yukimura Chizuru"

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**I know this chapter was kind of short because it's also part of the intro (plus I don't want to bore you with a long intro that most of you already know), but it's all story development. I think next chapter I'll start characterizing Okita and Chizuru more as the story progresses. Please review or comment, and tell me what you guys think so far. Have a nice day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I managed to have extra time today so here's another chapter. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, I know that I am having a great time writing this. I've decided that the story will exceed 5 chapters for sure, just wanted to let you guys know if you want to keep tabs with the story. Let me just say that the story will be long because I really want to make sure that my audience understands all of the characters, and more characters will be added because they all have some sort of impact in the story. If you didn't notice already, the story takes place through Souji's perspective (even though it's not in first-person). Enjoy!**

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Chapter 3: Patrol

Time seemed to pass quickly for Souji, which somewhat surprised him. He expected life with Chizuru to drag him down or ruin his constant routine. After she told the Shinsengumi that she was the mysterious daughter of the doctor, Yukimura Koudou, the Shinsengumi offered her protection until they found Koudou. The doctor had mysteriously disappeared in a fire a few months ago when he was in the middle of conducting his research on the furies. It was he who created the still unpredictable Water of Life for the Shinsengumi. The Water of Life made men, who drank its scarlet content, turn into furies and gain incredible regenerative powers as well as inhuman strength and speed, but it all came with a price. Once one became a fury, he would be constantly haunted by a strong lust for blood. Without blood, it drove the kindest of men to become soulless, blood-craving demons. Even with blood, a fury would never be able to quench his thirst.

One might question, "Why on Earth are the Shinsengumi producing such a horrible medicine?". The idea seemed appalling, but Koudou was determined to find a way to control the blood lust, but he vanished before he could ever find a cure. The existence of furies and the Water of Life was only known by the captains, and they intended to keep it a secret from everyone else, including Chizuru. She had left her hometown of Edo in search of her father, when she suspected something had happened to her him since he had not written to her in a month. She had no idea of the kind of work Koudou had done, but it was best for her at moment to not know.

Eventually, Chizuru fit in with everyone, while doing chores and such, as well as making herself useful. However, she struggled with Sannan-san. He was wounded badly on his left arm, which prevented him from swinging his sword. He became distant and cold to everyone. Chizuru tried to reach out to him by preparing him meals that did not require chopsticks. Despite her efforts, Sannan-san pushed her away, claiming that he did not want her pity.

Besides her issues with Sannan-san, she also recently got permission to join the Shinsengumi on their patrols after Saito had tested her. The test was hilarious for Souji to witness, considering that Chizuru legitimately thought she could hurt Saito, which she was immediately proven wrong. Even with Saito's approval, Souji still warned Chizuru in a half-jokingly way that if she ever got in his way he would kill her. Nonetheless, Chizuru was determined to make use of her time and search for her father.

Her first time out patrolling was easy enough, halfway through at least. Souji had been keeping an eye on her to make sure she did not cause any trouble. She was asking the locals if they had heard about or seen her father, until finally someone pointed her to a direction that might have known. Just as she had walked off, Souji was distracted by some of his men who seemed to have gotten into a fight with several jack-asses who called themselves samurai. Souji didn't hesitate to break up the fight, then afterwards he rushed into the building that Chizuru had run off to. He could see through the entrance that several men had pushed her down on the floor. Souji pulled out his sword when he noticed Chizuru's terrified expression and barged in, disarming the man who was about to stab her.

"O-Okita-san!", Chizuru exhaled in relief to see him.

"You seriously don't have good luck", Souji managed to tease her. The other men became alarmed and unsheathed their swords. Souji turned towards them.

"Of course, that goes for all of us", Souji grinned mischievously, then charged towards the men who were all clearly ronin. Soon afterwards, the rest of Souji's squad came running in and took down the rest of the ronin, only capturing two to interrogate back at headquarters. One of the prisoners happened to be a Choushuu spy, but because Souji had barged into the shop, the Shinsengumi could not use the spy's information to their advantage. Souji had to take the blame, but Chizuru felt just as guilty, as well as Hijikata for allowing her to go on patrol. However, the Shinsengumi figured out that the Choushuu planned to set Kyoto on fire on a windy day, and in the middle of all the chaos they would kidnap the emperor. Hijikata predicted that the Choushuu's would meet somewhere to come up with countermeasures, but there was the possibility of them meeting at either Shikokuya or Ikedaya. The Shinsengumi requested help from the Aizu clan, but their help was not received. Running low on options, the Shinsengumi decided to split up and go to both places. Kondo, Souji, Shinpachi, and Heisuke, along with ten other men would be going to Ikedaya. The remaining captains would go to Shikokuya. Both squads departed, not knowing what to expect. After some time, nightfall had taken over the sky. Once Kondo's team reached Ikedaya, they waited patiently for any sign of a meeting. Crucial minutes were passing, but to Souji, it seemed like hours. The men were starting to get restless. Souji suggested that they should go in either way, knowing it would be a shame if the Choushuus got away. But all they could do was wait silently.

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**Hope this chapter was longer, and sorry for the lack of dialogue, but don't worry next chapter will surely be interesting. I also apologize for any grammar mistakes, I didn't have the time to proof-read.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there! Sorry once again for the story's slow pace, but there will finally be some detailed action in this chapter. Plus, this chapter will start narrowing in on Souji's character and you will be introduced to Kazama. Thank you for your patience! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 4: Ikedaya

The streets were lit by simple candle-lit lanterns, and people still strolled through the wide streets, either returning home or going out to drink. The Ikedaya Inn had been running its business normally, as quests came and went. Kondo's team hid behind a small alley right across the street from the inn. They waited patiently for anything suspicious to happen. Until finally, a man peeked his head out from one of the inn's doors, checking to see if the coast was clear. It was clear to the Shinsengumi that the Choushuu meeting was being held just several yards away from them.

"We hit the jackpot", Souji whispered, affirming everyone's suspicions. The problem was that they were low in numbers, which prevented them from interrupting the meeting.

"Is the Aizu clan here yet?", Kondo asked to no one in particular.

"Not yet", a Shinsengumi soldier answered. Kondo scowled, obviously frustrated that they would have to wait for additional backup. Several minutes passed and there was still no sign of the Aizu clan.

"Damn it! What the hell's keeping the Aizu clan?", Heisuke complained irritably.

"They're too late", Shinpachi stated, trying to stay calm.

"What should we do? It'd be lame if they escaped, Kondo-san" Souji asked for orders. He knew that they could not waste any more time waiting for help that would never come. Plus, Souji was aching to jump into battle, which he figured he wasn't the only one who felt that way. Kondo furrowed his brows in annoyance at the Aizu clan's absence.

"Tsk, we're out of options! We'll go in on our own!", Kondo directed his men, who seemed more than ready for battle. Finally, Kondo led his men to the inn and kicked down the door. Several men inside looked alarmed, not expecting the Shinsengumi to show up.

"We are the Shinsengumi, who serve under the Lord of the Aizu clan!", Kondo shouted. The Choushuus immediately rose and blew off the laterns, preparing to face off against their enemies.

"By imperial decreed, everyone is hereby under arrest! We will not hold back on those who resist! ", claimed Kondo. Unfortunately for the Choushuu, they did not heed Kondo's warning and charged straight ahead.

"Kill them!", Kondo commanded, as he drew his sword out and the other captains started to run towards the mob heading their way. The battle had started. Swords clashed swords. Cries were heard, both of battle and pain. Blades pierced through skin, staining everything crimson. The Shinsengumi had their hands full, but they managed with what they had. Souji relished the moment, not giving a care in the world. He was amused by Kondo's sudden outburst that had alerted all of the Choushuus, who easily outnumbered the Shinsengumi. He slashed his sword at a careless Choushuu and easily dodged the swings against him. Souji and Shinpachi happened to stand right next to each other, pausing briefly to asses their situation.

"It's just like Kondo-san to scream a warning for everyone to hear", Souji joked, clearly not giving a damn that the two of them were surrounded.

"It's all good. It's proper etiquette to let them know what they're up against!, Shinpachi replied back, letting his cocky side show through before charging into battle again.

"So it's good etiquette to put ourselves at a disadvantage", Heisuke joined in on the conversation before killing another man. Despite all of the captains being surrounded, Souji had no doubt that they would win. All of them were skilled swordsmen. The Choushuus started to panic after watching their comrades get slaughtered.

"There's just a handful of them! Don't chicken out! Kill them all!", a Choushuu yelled out, a hint of desperation sounding through his voice.

"Despite all that yelling, he seems pretty damn scared to me", Souji retorted.

"I bet we'll finish 'em off before Hijikata-san brings back-up", Heisuke added, sharing Souji's confidence. Heisuke then charged at the several men that were blocking the stairs, easily clearing the path. Before he could go up, Souji ran up passed him, taking advantage the cleared pathway.

"Passing through", said Souji playfully, mocking Heisuke's effort on clearing the stairs.

"That's cheating!", Heisuke called back, following Souji to the second floor.

Both of them easily cleared the rest of the upper hall. All of the upstairs rooms were empty, but there was one room at the end of the hallway with its door still shut. They waked towards it, stopping when they reached the entrance. Souji slowly slid the door open to peak inside the room, his guard still up. His eyes spotted two men garbed in fancy traditional clothing. The one standing up was a tall, well-built man, with a hard gaze. His red hair was pulled back in a thin pony-tail and he stood with his arms crossed, gazing out at some of the Shinsengumi battling outside from the window. The other man was sitting down next to the window on a bench, who was also watching over the battle. He looked younger than the man standing up, probably being around Souji's age. His head was turned away, but Souji could notice some of his refined features, as well as his short golden hair. Souji and Heisuke entered the room, holding their swords out in front of them, while the two men simply started at them as if they weren't a threat. Heisuke lunged towards the standing man, but was sent flying back when the man hit his chest with just a simple move of his hand. It was obvious he was unlike any soldier Heisuke had encountered before because the man possessed incredible strength that seemed inhuman.

"You're a monster!", Heisuke almost snarled. The man seemed unimpressed as he raised his hand to stop Heisuke from attacking again.

"That's enough. I have no need to fight you", the man simply said in a deep voice.

"What was that?", Heisuke asked confused by the stranger's statement.

"There's no need for me to take your life if you pull back now", the man answered. Heisuke could only smirk at the man's advice, he would not be taken so lightly.

"Sorry, but we've got reason enough to stay. I'm not gonna let a Choushuu bastard like you get away!", Heisuke said in a determined voice, then launched his sword straight at the man. However, the stranger surprised everyone again when he caught the blade in his hand.

"I don't care to be lumped together with the Choushuu", the man stated bluntly, his face hardened even further. He forced the sword out of Heisuke's hand, and with vigorous strength that was humanly impossible, he punched Heisuke's forhead. The impact was strong enough to shatter Heisuke's headband and it sent his body through the wall and into the other room, landing harshly on furniture and rubble. The man afterwards took his leave through window, as if nothing had ever happened.

Souji would have gone after him, but he decided to face off against the golden-haired man instead. Souji charged towards him, swinging his sword constantly at the man. The stranger was able to dodge every blow effortlessly, but Souji could only manage to cut off a small strand of golden hair that hung over the stranger's face. Still persistent, Souji slashed his sword again, this time coming into contact with the man's scabbard. They both backed off from each other to regard one another. The man, with an evil smirk, finally pulled out his sword.

"I see you've got some bite to you", the man's voice was a rich, smooth baritone that displayed interest in Souji's ability. It was then that Souji noticed the stranger's eyes. A deep hue of red that reminded Souji of the color of blood. Souji grinned, suddenly taking an interest to his opponent as well. 'This is going to be fun', Souji thought to himself, already excited.

"If you're not careful, I'll do more than just bite you", Souji teased back before he charged at the man again, and their dance had begun. They constantly traded blows with one another, and the sound of their clashing swords strung loud in Souji's ears. Souji would swing as fast as he could in any direction, but the man matched his pace evenly. When the stranger started to attack, his blows were fast and heavy. Souji did the best he could to block, but he struggled. He decided that it was time for him to get serious, so he backed up and prepared for his signature move. He held the sword with his left hand while using the other to guide the sword in the direction he desired. Souji launched his sword towards the man's heart. He was sure he would not miss, but the stranger was faster. The man had caught the sword between his side and arm, and he was able to hold a firm grip on it. Utilizing his advantage, the man summoned incredible strength to his leg, as he kicked Souji right in the gut. Souji could hear and feel the wet crunch of several of his ribs being broken as he was pushed against the wall. Pain surged through his whole entire body. He struggled to get up, but immediately his throat tingled, forcing him to cough up blood.

"Okita-san!", a familiar voice called. Chizuru rushed over to Souji's side. 'What the hell is she doing here?', Souji thought, surprised by the girl's presence.

"Are you all right?!" she asked in a worried and desperate tone. All Souji could manage to reply were labored gasps and wet, tearing coughs. Chizuru tried moving herself under his arm to lift him up. Souji noticed Chizuru shooting the strange man a glare, which he did not hesitate to return.

"Do you mean to try and stop me as well?", he spoke to Chizuru, his voice was venomous.

"Fight me if you wish, I've no compunctions about killing a child", his voice got lower while warning her. He pointed his sword towards Chizuru, ready to take her life away if he needed to. Anger boiled through Souji's veins as he used the energy he had left to force himself up, groaning in pain. He positioned himself in front of Chizuru, facing the stranger.

"No, Okita-san! You can't!", Chizuru yelled desperately, trying to pull Souji back. Souji stood firmly as he placed an arm in front of her, pushing her behind him.

"You're fighting me, right? Leave the kid alone", Souji glared at the man. Souji had to force himself to speak, which left him gasping for air. The man just grinned, taking pleasure from Souji's pain.

"What a fool. Just what do you intend to do? You're wounded, possibly fatally. You can scarcely stand", the man sneered at Souji. That struck a nerve deep in Souji, who usually had a high tolerance level.

"Shut up! I've still got some fight left, you bastard!", Souji yelled. He did not want to admit to himself that he was in no condition to fight, he was too stubborn to give up.

"Stop that! You're still coughing up blood!", Chizuru protested, knowing all to well that Souji would not be able to survive if he fought again. The man just looked at them with cool, disinterested eyes as he sheathed his sword in one swift motion.

"...What?", Chizuru asked, confused by what had just happened. The man sighed and approached the window.

"The moment the meeting was interrupted, my business here was at an end", he stated coldly. He gracefully leapt out from the windowsill and disappeared into the night.

"He...ran?", Chizuru wondered out loud. He hadn't run, in fact, he let them go. Still pissed, Souji cursed in frustration.

"Damnit! I...I can still fight", Souji struggled to speak.

"Okita-san...", Chizuru mumbled softly. After a moment of silence Chizuru finally spoke up.

"Why did you do that?", she asked Souji timidly. Souji looked at Chizuru, waiting for her to clarify her question.

"You always said you'd kill me if I got in your way...", Chizuru spoke nervously, but she looked at him in the eye. Souji raised a brow in surprise, now realizing that he had protected the girl.

"Huh... Yeah... Why did I do that?", Souji wondered, not intending for his words to slur. He had acted on instinct, there was no time to think.

"I'll figure that out...later..., but I really gotta kill...that...", but before he could finish, his body all of the sudden weighed more than what his muscles could support, and he collapsed on the floor. His eyes slowly closed shut.

"Okita-san?!", was the last thing Souji could hear from Chizuru before he completely blacked out.

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**Finally! A long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this, I apologize for any grammar errors (I'm writing this at midnight). I loved writing this chapter because it focused more on Souji and I just love Kazama. It will probably be awhile before I post more chapters, just letting you know in advance. Please review/comment, I really want to know what you guys are thinking about the story. As always, have an awesome day and thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, what's up? I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I have edited the previous chapters if you want to read back through them again (don't worry, I didn't change any content, I just fixed several grammatical errors). The story will definitely be at least ten chapters long, maybe even longer. This chapter won't be as intense as the last chapter, but it will have more interaction between Souji and Chizuru. I apologize in advance if there are any grammar errors, and thanks for waiting patiently for this chapter. As always, enjoy!**

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Chapter 5: Late Morning

It was hard for Souji to wake up. He was not sure how long he had been unconscious, but he was just eager to get out of bed. As he tried to move, he winced in pain, now remembering what last night's battle had done to him. Souji replayed the events in his mind, starting to get angry again over his battle with the red-eyed ronin. He hated knowing that the stranger had spared Souji's life because he was weak agaist the ronin's extraordinary power. Souji became frustrated with himself, blaming himself for not being strong enough to fight against the ronin. Souji was a man of pride and was the Shinsengumi's best swordsman, only falling under Kondo. Defeat was something he had hardly experienced, and he was not the best at dealing with it. Souji decided to take nap again, hoping it would calm him down. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Hijikata entered Souji's room.

"You know it's rude to walk in on someone who's sleeping", Souji joked. Hijikata ignored him and sat beside Souji.

"How are your wounds? Do they still hurt?", asked Hijikata in his usual firm voice, but Souji knew that he was concerned over him.

"More or less", Souji managed to say in a light tone. Hijikata helped him get up and led him out of his room.

"Go get something to eat, then come find me so I can give you some medicine for your wounds", Hijikata ordered and walked away before Souji could protest. Souji had lost his apatite from the foul mood he was in, but he made his way towards the kitchen, thinking his hunger would return after seeing food. He was surprised to see Chizuru cooking something in the kitchen. He silently watched her chop several vegetables while she hummed a catchy tune.

"Good morning, Chizuru-chan", he suddenly greeted. Chizuru jumped in surprise and turned around to face Souji, not knowing he had been watching her.

"O-Okita-san! I didn't know you were there, don't scare me like that!", she cried out, slightly turning red from embarrassment. Souji giggled at her response. It was fun for him to tease her. Actually, it was fun to tease anyone he could. He did not joke around because he had interest in his victims, but rather he did so because he could and there was no one to stop him.

"Well, what are you making?", he finally asked Chizuru.

"Just some soup for you", she answered, now calmed down

"Huh? What about everyone else?", he asked, curious to know where the others had been.

"They already ate. They tried to wait for you to wake up, but it was already getting late...", Chizuru responded. Souji nodded in understanding while Chizuru placed the food on two trays and handed one of them to him. Souji took it and sat down, but he was still not hungry. Chizuru sat right across from him and stared at him with her worried honeyed eyes.

"Aren't you hungry?", Chizuru asked with slight concern in her voice.

"Not really. Don't have much of an apatite today", Souji responded, his face stoic. Chizuru furrowed her brows slightly.

"But you have to eat something or else your injuries won't heal", Chizuru said as her voice raised a little.

"I'm telling you I'm fin-" Souji stopped himself, now just realizing her change in tone. She had prepared him a meal when she could have kept herself busy with other chores. He decided show his gratitude for her efforts to make him feel better.

"Alright", Souji surrendered by taking a spoonful of soup into his mouth.

"It's actually not bad" Souji complimented while savoring the taste of his breakfast. Chizuru's face lit up, proud that she was able to make him eat. She then started to eat, feeling satisfied with Souji's compliment. After a few moments Souji finally broke the peaceful silence.

"Why didn't you eat earlier with the others?", Souji questioned Chizuru. He was wondering why she had waited to eat this late in the morning. Chizuru looked at him in slight surprise, then trained her eyes on her food.

"...I wanted to make sure you were okay... that's why I waited" she still averted his gaze, a slight blush crept up to her cheeks. Souji widened his eyes a little at her answer. It had surprised him that the girl would worry over him, but he still gave her a warm crooked smile.

"Well, I am okay, in fact I feel perfectly fine", Souji still flashed his warm grin. Chizuru looked at him questionably, knowing that he was still injured from last night's battle. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off when Harada slid the door open.

"Ah Souji, you're finally up", Harada greeted warmly.

"Nice to see you too", Souji greeted back.

"Are you done eating yet? We're having another meeting, so we gotta get going", Harada glanced towards Souji's tray.

"Yeah, we actually just finished", Souji proceeded to get up, but pain reemerged in his gut. Chizuru stood up and grabbed hold of his arm to help him up. Souji looked at her blankly, not quite sure how to respond, but he did not resist her assistance. He gave her a small smile, which made a subtle blush appear on her face, but she retuned the smile. Honestly, how long would this girl keep continuing to surprise him?

During the meeting, the captains went through all the details that happened yesterday. Hijikata gave Heisuke and Souji their medicine and asked Chizuru to bring some more for Sannan-san, who's arm was still injured. Chizuru returned shortly after with the medicine and a cup of water and placed it next to Sannan-san.

"Here's your medicine", Chizuru said.

"Oh? I have to take it too? The injury on my left arm is all better" Sannan-san looked at Chizuru questionably.

"But Hijikata-san told me to give it to you", Chizuru stated. Sannan-san looked at Hijikata, probably to persuade him that his arm really was better, but Hijikata was no fool and just looked at Sannan-san sternly.

"Sannan-san, quit while you're ahead", Souji said playfully then gulped down his medicine. Sannan-san sighed and picked up the medicine.

"If it's the Lieutenant's orders...", Sannan-san finally gave in. The conversation carried on with the subject being about the medicine, also known as Ishida Sanyaku, a powdered blend that the Hijikata family specialized in. It was essentially a painkiller with a horrible taste, but Souji was more than willing to take it if could get him back on his feet again. Heisuke then joked about the horrible flavor, while Hijikata threatened him coldly, making the whole room burst into laughter.

"But I'm amazed they were able to injure Okita-kun and Toudou-kun", Inoue-san stated, referring to the two strange men from last night. Souji looked at him bitterly for being reminded of his defeat.

"I'll win the next time we meet", Souji said in a lowered tone.

"Didn't they say they weren't on the Choushuu's side?", Saito asked, automatically clearing the tension.

"Yeah", Heisuke answered simply.

"But they were holding a secret meeting a Ikedaya", Saito stated.

"Which means...", Shinpachi also tried to analyze the situation.

"They may have been spies from another clan", Saito suggested.

"But why? What were they after?", Harada wondered out loud. Saito just shook his head, not knowing the reason. Souji could care less about the men's motives. He wouldn't be humiliated again the next time he saw the red-eyed monster.

The middle of summer had turned up with great news for the Shinsengumi. The Aizu clan requested them to fight the Choushuu rebels in the front lines, finally recognizing all their hard work and effort. Unfortunately for Souji, his wounds were still recovering, meaning he would have to stay behind and hold down the fort along with Sannan-san and Heisuke. The three of them watched the rest of their comrades march out of headquarters from the entrance.

"Man I wanna go! Baby-sitting headquarters is so boring!", Heisuke whinned. Souji could not help but chuckle in agreement.

"At least you can return to the front line once your wounds heal. I, on the other hand...", Sannan-san trailed off sadly. Souji almost felt sorry for him. Not being able to swing a sword was worse than dying on the battlefield for a soldier. Souji was not sure how Sannan-san had not lost his sanity yet. Personally, Souji knew he would not be able to live with himself if he could no longer kill those who stood in the way of the Shinsengumi. It was his sole purpose, his only reason to live was to be Kondo's sword in the flesh.

"Well then, we should be good boys and rest up", Souji advised while elbowing Heisuke hard on the side for making Sannan-san more depressed. Heisuke groaned in pain.

"Hey! What'd you do that for, Souji?!", Heisuke started to run after him, but Souji was already walking away.

Souji had to be patient. Soon he would heal and would be able to fight alongside Kondo again. 'This will all be over soon, and things should go back to normal', Souji thought to himself hoping that it would be enough to coax him. He would realize later that he had been entirely wrong...

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**So what do you guys think? Did you pick up on the foreshadowing within the chapter? I can't wait to write more chapters for this story! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I know it was a little shorter than the previous chapter. Thanks for reading! I would very much appreciate it if some of you guys can give me your opinions on the story so far. As always, have an awesome day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! More drama with other characters will be apparent in this chapter. I am hoping to get a lot of content covered too, so the chapter may be long; it all just depends how I write it. As always, enjoy!**

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Chapter 6: Symptoms

The past several days were long and hard at headquarters, but they were nothing compared to what the rest of the Shisengumi had faced. Despite their formal request from the Aizu clan leaders, their subordinates were not notified of the assistance the Shinsengumi was supposed to provide, so they constantly denied them until the Choushuu attacked. The Aizu and Satsuma clans teamed up to fight the rebels, but that did not make them friends. Saito put a stop to their bickering at Hamaguri Gate, when he compromised on behalf of the Aizu and the Shinsengumi to work with the Satsuma clan. The strange red haired man from Ikedaya, whose name was Amagiri Kyuuju, represented the Satsuma clan. No matter what Amagiri had done to Heisuke, Saito knew he had to cooperate with him as well. It turned out that the two strange men were sent to Ikedaya by the Satsuma clan to spy on the Choushuus. The golden haired man, known as Kazama Chikage, made an appearance in the battlefield as well. However, it was harder to cooperate with him because he managed to have a run down with Hijikata. During their small fight Hijikata was able to disarm Kazama, but Kazama's sword had grazed Chizuru's arm, which only fueled Souji's hatred for him more. At the end of the day the Choushuus either died in battle or committed suicide. A few survivors managed to set Kyoto ablaze, burning thousands of homes. Souji could see the fires all the way from headquarters, which was lucky enough to be away from the engulfing flames.

While Souji stood by headquarters, he noticed that Sannan-san was up to something. He had asked him what he was doing because he noticed that Sannan-san had become more reserved than usual. Sannan-san simply told him that he was researching something, but Souji did not push him to tell what he was researching. Souji already had an idea that Sannan-san had been planning something dark and mysterious. In fact, he probably knew what Sannan-san was about to do...

Shortly after the event, officials were finally recognizing the Shinsengumi's efforts and increased the areas they were supposed to guard. Heisuke and Kondo went to Edo to gather more recruits, including an acknowledged swordsman and a clever debater named Itou Kashitarou. By then, Souji's wounds had healed, but something was not right about him. Even though he recovered, he was never fully a hundred percent again and he did not know why.

One evening during dinner, after Chizuru finished handing out the tea to everyone, she had noticed that Sannan-san had been absent.

"Where's Sannan-san?", she asked in curiosity.

"He's researching something", Souji replied, using Sannan-san's exact words.

"Is that right? I guess I should have waited to make his tea. Now we've got too much...", she did not suspect anything was wrong with Sannan-san, and instead, worried about the left-over tea.

"Just leave it. I'm sure someone will drink it", Hijikata stated bluntly.

"You think?", she wondered out loud, but her train of thought was immediately interrupted.

"It's spicy", Saito randomly intervened. Everyone stared at him, obviously not sure what Saito had been referring to until Harada nearly spat out his food.

"This is nasty! I bet Souji made this!", Harada said with a disgusted look on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?", Souji furrowed his brows at Harada. It had been Souji's turn to cook, but he honestly did not think the food was horrible.

"I just cooked the vegetables and marinated them in soy sauce. I don't think it's that terrible", Souji then glanced down at his own food. He always liked spicy food, but he had never really overdone his meals with spices. Souji studied his food carefully. He did add more soy sauce than usual, but the food had still tasted the same to him. 'Am I losing my sense of taste?', he wondered to himself. He had noticed that lately everything he had eaten or drank was stale to him. 'Is there something wrong with me?', he could not help but lose himself in his thoughts. Saito grabbed his bowl of food and stood up.

"Huh? Saito, what's wrong", Harada asked.

"I'm going to rinse them off. Too much salt intake is bad for the body", he stated in his usual quiet voice before proceeding out of the room. Harada gaped at him and looked down at his own bowl of vegetables.

"Me too!", Harada got up and followed Saito. Hijikata did not take long to follow suit as well and Chizuru just sat still, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"I guess I'll rinse mine off too", Souji got up and started to walk away. Chizuru regarded him with stunned eyes. Her mouth dropped and she looked like she was about to say something, but the words would not fall out of her mouth.

Later that night, Souji could not fall asleep due to a slight headache he got. He decided to go grab a bottle of sake, hoping that getting drunk would ease away the slight pain. He had also wanted to pay Sannan-san a visit. He had been curious to see what he was up to, or rather, to confirm his suspicions. After grabbing a bottle of sake, he made his way over to Sannan-san's room and lightly tapped the door.

"Sannan-san, are you still up?", Souji called.

"Is that you, Okita-kun? You may come on in", Souji heard Sannan-san say behind the door. He slid open the door, not surprised to see Sannan-san was still fully awake.

"You're so hard working. But it won't do you any good if you destroy your health over it", Souji said lightly with a playful edge on his voice as he walked into the room.

"No worries there. I've already destroyed my health", Sannan-san returned the joke with sad smile on his face.

"That aside, take a look at this. It's some of the Water of Life I've improved upon. In theory, it should be free of all the bad side-affects", he held up the flask containing the scarlet liquid that Souji recognized all too well. Souji grinned, having his suspicions been confirmed.

"Gonna try it out?", Souji asked, but he already knew the answer to his own question.

"I won't stop you if you're confident it'll work", Souji then sat down. He somehow understood Sannan-san, and he could place himself in his shoes and would have done the same thing that Sannan-san was doing now.

"I was just debating that", Sannan-san spoke softly.

"Well, I'll be sure to kill you if it fails", Souji replied warmly.

"How heartwarming", Sannnan-san smiled sarcastically.

"Why don't we put that away and have a drink?", Souji suggested while raising the bottle of sake in his hand.

"Sake? I believe that would be a healthier option", Sannan-san joked lightly before joining Souji with a drink. After an hour or so of drinking, Souji returned to his room, slightly tipsy. He dropped on his futon and sighed deeply. His headache lingered, but it was not as strong as before. He let his mind wonder off about his own slight disfunctions he had been experiencing lately and also about the Water of Life Sannan-san was preparing. 'Poor bastard, it'd be a shame if I'd have to kill him', Souji yawed before slowly shutting his eyes, lulling himself to sleep.

The wind and air was slightly colder when November came. Kondo and Hijikata stood at the front of the entrance to greet the so-called Itou. He was a flimsy looking man who seemed to only care about looking fabulous. Souji, Saito, Shinpachi, and Harada stood behind a corner and watched the flamboyant man make his grand entrance.

"That's Itou Kashitarou. He uses Itou-Ryuu style swordsmanship", Shinpachi mused.

"I've heard he believes 'Revere the Emperor, Expel the Foreigners'. It's surprising he decided to join the Shinsengumi", Saito added quietly.

"So he has the same beliefs as those Choushuu dogs? I wonder if we'll get along okay...", Harada said in a stern voice.

"Itou-san is highly educated and a skilled orator", Sannan-san said sternly while walking behind the group of men, slightly taking them by surprise.

"Ehh?", Harada turned back to observe Itou again.

"Sannan-san, are you two frie-", Harada was beginning to ask, but cut himself off when he noticed that Sannan-san was already walking away.

"Sannan-san's been really distant lately", Shinpachi noted.

"Yeah, he hardly ever talks with us anymore. Of course, he was never much of a talker to begin with", Harada agreed with Shinpachi. All Souji did was listen quietly while chewing on a piece of straw. They did not know anything about what Sannan-san was going through. Souji could have told them about Sannan-san's intent of becoming a fury, but he knew it was none of their business and they would have also tried intervene on his experiment. Souji just kept quiet and silently retreated back to headquarters.

Later that evening, Souji had trouble getting into bed again. This time it was not a headache, but rather, the small dinner party that Kondo and Itou were having kept making a lot of noise. Figuring he was not going to get much sleep anyway, Souji wandered around through headquarters. He stopped when he found Chizuru washing empty sake bottles by the well. He was planning on scaring her for fun, but he halted when he spotted Itou approaching Chizuru. Itou's face was calm and serene, but Souji's blood boiled when he looked at his eyes. They were filled with lust and greed as he stared at Chizuru with stalking eyes.

"Hey, you there", Itou finally made his presence known to Chizuru. She turned around and faced him.

"May I help you?", she asked, oblivious to Itou's intentions.

"What is someone like you doing here?", he asked, obviously taking an interest in her. Chizuru looked at him with a puzzled expression as he walked closer towards her.

"You aren't a soldier, now are you?", he questioned, already seeing past Chizuru's disguise as a boy. Each step he took reminded Souji of the way a snake approaches a helpless mouse. When Itou was only inches away from her, Chizuru took a few cautious steps back, but that did not prevent him. Souji finally leapt out of his hiding spot and swung his sword towards Itou's head. He sensed Souji's presence in time and barely evaded the attack. Souji ended up slicing through a rose bush, disappointed that he didn't get to slice open his throat.

"Okita-san!", Chizuru cried out, not expecting him to be there. Souji just smirked to hide his inner anger when Itou stared at him the same exact way. His eyes trailed to the tip of Souji's blade, where a delicate rose rested. Souji lifted the sword's end closer to him.

"There aren't any 'flowers' to entertain all of us men", Souji still managed to keep his voice playful as he eyed the man in front of him carefully.

"But since you just got here, I thought you'd appreciate something soft on the eyes", Souji said sarcastically while lowering his voice. His message was hidden but he made his warning clear enough to Itou. Itou gently picked up the rose while indulging on its soft pink hue.

"My, how lovely", Itou brought the rose up to his nose, taking in its scent.

"But how crude of you to cut it with your katana", Itou's face was still calm, but his eyes were like daggers, which did not faze Souji.

"The school of Tennen Rishin Ryuu swordsmanship teaches us to be somewhat rowdy", Souji grinned in reply while forcing his eyes into a venomous gaze. He sheathed his sword and turned towards Chizuru, who was gaping in awe at the scene before her.

"Don't you still have cleaning up to attend to? Get on back to work", Souji ordered Chizuru. He wanted her as far away as possible from Itou, he would not allow anything bad to happen to her. Souji convinced himself that he was just fulfilling his duty to protect her, but he could not shake that feeling of possessiveness.

"Okay!", and Chizuru gladly took off running to finish her chores. Itou smirked as he watched Chizuru dart off then turned his gaze back to Souji.

"Thank you for the flower, Okita-san", Itou stared at him with amused eyes, then brushed past Souji, back to meeting room where dinner was still being held. Souji looked to where his trail had led, and chuckled. He was amused and entertained that he did not quite scare off Itou. 'Just you wait and see what happens when you cross boundaries', Souji thought to himself, his lips growing wider into a wicked smile.

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**I hoped you picked up on the symptoms Souji is starting to have. The story is approaching a plot twist so prepare yourselves! This was a fun chapter to write. I know it focused a lot on Sannan-san but his character will be what starts to make the rest of the dominos fall. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, have an awesome day!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey there! I hope the story is interesting so far for you guys. This chapter will introduce us to another new character, but I won't spoil it for you guys. Once again, I am planning on covering a lot of content, so the chapter will be long (probably the longest so far). I don't really have anything else much to say, except that I hope you'll like this chapter!**

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Chapter 7: Similarity

Souji was off to an early start to his morning when he attended another conference with all of the squad captains, including Itou. Before he entered the meeting he noticed it was starting to snow. Winter had almost passed, but light snow still managed to fall gracefully over the scenery. It reminded Souji of the night he met Chizuru. 'Now I remember, it was snowing that day too', Souji recalled. It has been a whole year since Chizuru encountered them for the first time and there was still no sign of her father. Nonetheless, Chizuru became an extremely helpful asset to them by lending a hand with chores, and she did so without any complaints. She really had become a member of their precious Shinsengumi.

During the meeting, the group of men discussed the importance of establishing a new base because more recruits were joining the Shinsengumi, and it was starting to get difficult with everyone bunking together.

"But it's gonna be hard finding a place that'll let us stay there", Souji added to the conversation. Many civilians hated their guts because they were pro-Choushuu, but the Shinsengumi desperately needed to expand.

"Do you have somewhere in mind?", Souji directed the question at Kondo, who did not seem to have a clue on where to settle next.

"It wouldn't be such an issue if I did", Kondo replied.

"Nishi Hongan-ji", Hijikata answered for him, catching everyone by surprise, especially Sannan-san.

"But Nishi Hongan-ji was one of the first places that started hiding those infidel Choushuu warriors. There's no way they would willingly accept us", Sannan-san insisted.

"I don't care about that. Choushuu scum have been taking advantage of the monks and temples to find hideouts. If it comes down to it, we'll force them to comply", Hijikata narrowed his eyes at Sannan-san.

"Don't you find it uncouth to manipulate monks through brute force?", Sannan-san questioned, letting his sensitive side show through.

"Yeah, true enough...Sannan-san's got a point there", Shinpachi started to agree with him.

"I agree with Toshi's opinion, but Sannan-kun has a point", Kondo pondered out loud.

"Let's stick with Nishi Hongan-ji. I did some research on it myself", Itou suggested while pulling out handwritten notes about the location.

"Both its location and circumstances make it an excellent headquaeters. As Hijikata-kun already explained, we will be able to limit the Choushuu's movement by making a base there", Itou stated.

"Indeed, the Choushuu would lose one of their hideouts", Saito added quietly.

"The monks will throw a fit, but we'd be able to jump into action way more easily if we were located there", Harada commented.

"That's true, but still...", Shinpachi was still hesitant.

"But a moral cause without justice will eventually lead to ruin", Sannan-san's voice raised a little as he spoke.

"Sannan-san, you are always so contemplative. But sometimes we must take drastic measures to ensure progress. Not that I don't understand why you're acting defensively", Itou noted.

"I'm what?", Sannan-san asked, a little confused by what he meant.

"I've heard you can't use your left arm. But there's nothing to fear, even if you can't live as a swordsman. I'm sure your wit and foresight will be a great asset to the Shinsengumi", Itou stated slyly, throwing Sannan-san off guard and angering everyone else, especially Hijikata.

"What are you getting at, Itou-san?! Just as you said, Sannan-san has a sharp mind! But he's invaluable to the Shinsengumi as a swordsman!", Hijikata defended, obviously irritated by Itou. It looked like Hijikata was about to rant some more to Itou, but Sannan-san stopped him before he could.

"Hijikata-kun, my arm...", Sannan-san trailed off, gently stroking his wounded arm.

"Dear me. I believe I said too much. I hope that your arm gets better", Itou said in a warm tone that seemed almost mocking to Souji. After a moment of silence Kondo finally spoke up.

"I'm sure everyone has their own opinion, but we're going to stick with Nishi Hongan-ji for now", Kondo stated with a hint of sorrow in his voice. Souji knew it was a hard decision for Kondo to make and he felt bad for him, but they were running low on options. With a look of dismay, Sannan-san quietly stood up walked away with a scowl on his face. Souji wondered what Sannan-san was going to do next, though like always, he knew the answer to his own question. 'It's only a matter of time now before he snaps', Souji thought.

The day seemed to pass quickly and as the sun was about to set. Most of the squad captains, along with Chizuru, gathered on the porch. They were all reprimanding Itou for what he had said to Sannan-san. Then again, they were discussing Sannan's distant ways and how he had used to be kind and caring. Soon Harada and Shinpachi managed to make a joke about Sannan-san being devious deep down.

"It's not so funny if you take it seriously", Souji lightly warned, although he doubted anyone understood what he had meant. After all, Sannan-san was planning something devious and Souji was the only one who knew about it. However, the others ignored him and proceeded back to talking shit on Itou.

"I don't like him either. But I'll admit he's pretty good with a sword", Souji stated. He automatically remembered the night Itou had first arrived, when he approached Chizuru. Whatever negative feelings Souji had for him, they would not matter to the Shinsengumi, or at least Kondo.

"I don't trust him", Hijikata stated bluntly.

"Then go send him away, Hijikata-san. Tell him the Shinsengumi don't need rubbish like him", Souji suggested, hoping that Hijikata actually would do something about the bastard.

"There's no way Kondo-san would approve. He absolutely adores Itou-san", replied Hijikata. Souji sighed, a little disappointed at him.

"Jeez, you're useless. It's your job as the 'Oni Lieutenant' to make the impossible happen", Souji mocked Hijikata. He was the only one who was brave enough to do so, and he always managed to get a satisfying reaction from Hijikata.

"Then you can be the new lieutenant, Souji", he replied slightly annoyed. Souji laughed, knowing he could easily irritate Hijikata.

"I'll pass. It'd be too annoying", Souji gave a small grin before it faded quickly.

"Saito-san, do you dislike Itou-san as well?", Chizuru asked.

"A group grows and expands when people with various ideas gather together. But it will fall apart from the inside out if you force diversification", Saito answered wisely, letting his words hang in the air.

Night had settled across sky, and Souji was up later than usual for the insomnia he was currently experiencing. He tried to stay in bed, but he heard faint footsteps travel past his room. Souji quickly got dressed and decided to explore the trail of the footsteps. While on his way through the hallways, he noticed the door to Chizuru's room was hardly slid opened. He peeked in expecting to find her fast asleep, but she was not there. 'Where could she have gone?' Souji wondered, now more alert and ready to detect any sign of her presence. In the midst of his search, he found Hijikata and Saito standing right outside of Sannan-san's room.

"What's going on?", Souji asked while wondering why they were awake too.

"Sannan-san's not here", Hijikata said with a stern look in his eyes.

"Really? What a coincidence. Chizuru-chan isn't in her room either", Souji notified. Hijikata's eyes widened even more before narrowing into a much harder gaze.

"Saito, go fetch the others and start looking around for them. Make sure you don't wake anyone else up", Hijikata ordered before Saito nodded and took off.

"Let's start looking for them too. It'll be easier if we split up", Hijikata turned back to Souji.

"Of course", Souji agreed in his casual tone before going on his separate way. He jogged outside and noticed how eerie the sky looked. It was cloudy and dark. The moon glowed in a mysterious tint of red. Souji made his towards the backside of headquarters, which stood apart from everything else. He had no idea where Chizuru could be, but kind of figured what Sannan-san would be doing. As he approached the building, he heard a familiar voice cry out.

"Someone! Anyone! Come help me!", Souji could recognize Chizuru's cries from the distance. He cursed under his breath, and let adrenaline pump through his veins as he sprinted inside complex. He ran to the door where Chizuru's pleas could be heard from and instantly opened the door. He saw what he had expected. He immediately noticed the trademark silver-white hair and flashing scarlet eyes. Sannan-san was fury. He held Chizuru's short-sword, pulling it towards his heart as she desperately tried to pull back the blade away from him. Without a moment's hesitation, Souji rushed in and elbowed Sannan-san hard in the abdomen, forcing him away from Chizuru and dropped her sword. Just as Souji grabbed a hold of him, the others came running in. Saito helped Souji restrain Sannan-san, who was roaring in agony. At the sight of it all Chizuru slowly collapsed, thankfully Hijikata caught her in time before she hit the floor hard.

"Sannan-san", Souji tried to snap Sannan-san out of it, but there was little he could do. The side effects finally forced Sannan-san to fall to the ground exhausted.

"Lieutenant!", Saito looked to Hijikata for orders. Hijikata laid Chizuru down on the floor gently and turned towards Harada and Shinpachi.

"Shinpachi, take the Maekawa-tei Entrance. Harada, you take the Yagi-tei Entrance. Keep an eye on our men. Don't let anyone near this room!", Hijikata assigned them their posts, and the two of them ran back outside.

"Saito, stay on standby in the courtyard. Keep an eye out for members of Itou's faction", Hijikata commanded, before Saito nodded and took his leave. Before Hijikata could direct Souji where to go, he spoke up.

"Hijikata-san, I'd like to stay here", Souji requested while remembering his little promise he made to Sannan-san if the Water of Life did not work. Hijikata studied him, but he did not object.

"Fine. Tonight will be the turning point one way or another. Will he live, die,...or break?", Hijikata's voice got softer as he spoke the last part. After a moment, he picked up Chizuru and carried her out the room. Souji was left alone with Sannan-san. All he could do was watch Sannan-san struggle for air as his gasps were hoarse and rigid.

After some time, Inoue came by to check on Sannan-san. Both Souji and him kept watch over Sannan-san. Eventually, after a restless night, Sannan-san seemed to have transformed back into his original form. Souji felt groggy and light-headed, blaming last night for his symptoms. However, Souji was somewhat relieved that he did not have to kill Sannan-san. Inoue and Souji left him so he could rest and started their way towards the conference room. While on his way, Souji felt as if there was something clinging to the back of his throat. He tried clearing his throat but the feeling would not disappear, it had stayed on edge. 'I'm probably just getting a cold', Souji thought, while trying to ignore the irritating roughness. Both men finally reached the room and Souji slid open the door. Everyone's eyes were stuck on him as they waited for his report on Sannan-san.

"It looks like the crisis has passed", Souji revealed with a grin. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. It was still too early to tell if Sannan-san had actually succeeded, but they would find out as soon as he woke up. Just then Itou arrived, putting everyone on edge. The feeling that had lurked inside Souji's throat finally emerged into a cough.

"You okay, Souji?", Harada asked in a sympathetic tone.

"Yeah, just reacting to the gust of stale air", Souji made no effort to hide his dislike for Itou. Nevertheless, Itou must not have made much of Souji's remark when he mentioned the "disturbance" from last night. Shit, was perhaps what everyone else was thinking. Kondo struggled to answer him, but luckily, Saito managed to cover up the incident by coming up with the perfect excuse that the Shinsengumi did not want to bother Itou about just yet, but will report to him later. It seemed to have done the trick, but sooner or later Itou would notice that the dilemma was about Sannan-san, considering that he was the only one not present.

Soon after, Kondo, Hijikata, and Souji went to check up on Sannan-san. They found him wide awake, and to no surprise, working on perfecting the Water of Life. He mentioned something about growing tired during the daytime as a side-affect of the medicine, and Souji naturally had asked what he meant by that.

"I am no longer human", was all Sannan-san said. It did not faze anyone because they were all rather glad he was alive, until Souji asked if he could be able to go on missions again.

"Just say I died", spoke Sannan-san in his gentle, casual voice. It was not an answer that everyone expected, but they all understood the reason behind it. In order to keep the Water of Life a secret, Sannan-san's "death" would allow them to maintain it from them. From then, it was decided that the Shinsengumi _had_ to expand if they were to keep Sannan-san's existence, as well as the rest of the furies, a secret.

By spring, Nishi Hongan-ji became the Shinsengumi's new headquarters. It was old and dirty, but it was spacious enough to hide Sannan-san's faction. Other than that, it was easy for everyone else to adjust to their new home. Souji would have felt the same way, if he his health had not gotten worse. By then, Souji knew there was indeed something wrong himself. He could hardly sleep at night, he got light-headed easily, his body would become colder, but worst of all, his coughs became continuous and rougher each time. Somehow he was able to get away with it, or just lie about it and say he was developing a cold.

On a particular day out on patrol, Souji had carried on his own business until he bumped into Chizuru and Heisuke, who were also out patrolling. They ended up walking together while discussing the Shogun's future arrival to Kyoto, which was the reason why Kondo was so worked up lately. Then suddenly, the lurking feeling emerged again in Souji. He stopped abruptly while coughing, and crouched on the ground when the cough became more violent.

"Okita-san?!", Chizuru ran to his side and put a hand on his back for comfort.

"Are you all right?", Chizuru asked with apparent concern in her voice. Souji looked at her and tried to nod in response, but he was immediately forced to succumb into another wave of coughs. Suddenly, out of instinct, his eyes darted towards the other side of the road, where a young woman was being surrounded by foul-looking men. The men claimed themselves to be soldiers who expelled foreigners, and they were asking the woman to poor them drinks, and even telling her to give herself to them. They jerked her wrist, and the woman started to shout for them to let go of her. 'Dogs', Souji thought as he stood up and ran up to them, Chizuru and Heisuke followed behind him.

"My, my. Kinda sad the foreigners are getting booted out by trash like you", Souji provoked while flashing his cruel smile.

"What?!", the men turned around to face Souji.

"A light blue haori...", one of the men observed him.

"You're a Shinsengumi!", the other man blurted out.

"We can cut to the chase since you figured that much out. What'll it be?", Souji said slyly while putting a hand on the hilt of his sword. Both men fled in fright, then the woman approached Souji.

"Thank you so much", she bowed her head to him then met his gaze.

"My name is Nagumo Kaoru", she smiled while she introduced herself. Souji studied her carefully. 'She's almost like an exact replica of...', Souji let his mind wander off as he pulled Chizuru to stand beside the woman.

"Go on", he told Chizuru and stood back to look at the two women side-by-side.

"Thought so. You're practically identical", he said triumphantly as he noticed that the two were pretty much the exact same person on the outside.

"Ya sure? I don't think they resemble each other...", Heisuke said, clearly diluted.

"No, they really do", Souji insisted while the woman called "Kaoru" gave Chizuru a warm smile.

"You'd be the spitting image of her if you dressed up like a girl", Souji told Chizuru, all of the sudden curious to see how Chizuru looked dressed up.

"U-Um...", Chizuru started to say awkwardly as Kaoru stepped closer towards Souji.

"I wish to properly thank you, but I have an errand I must attend to. Please forgive me for my brash behavior", Kaoru said politely as she bowed and started to walk away. She stopped and looked back at him again.

"We shall meet again, Okita Souji-san of the Shinsengumi", she let the words roll off her tongue and gave Souji another warm smile, but there was something written in her eyes that Souji could not figure out. She then proceeded to go on her way again.

"Hey, hey. I think she's got the hots for you, Souji", Heisuke said in a giddy voice, while raising his brows at Souji.

"You'll never beat Sano if you seriously believe that", Souji chided before heading towards the opposite direction.

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?!", Heisuke questioned as he chased after him. Souji stopped and looked back when he realized Chizuru was not following them. Heisuke did the same and called after her, who was croached down beside a small puddle, probably regarding herself. She got up and rejoined them, and all of them made their way towards home.

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**Whew! This was a long chapter! I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes, I'll revise it tomorrow perhaps. Finally we see Souji growing more ill as the story goes on and we also got to meet Kaoru, who (trust me) will become a HUGE part of the story. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please comment or review on it! As always, have an awesome day (or night because I'm writing this at almost midnight!)!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, that last chapter was long so I am going to try to keep it simple this chapter so I don't overwhelm anyone and myself included. I read through the first several chapters and I now just realized how horrible my revision skills are, so again, I apologize for that. Anyway, I at least hope everyone is enjoying the story's content. Please comment or review what you guys thinking, I'd really appreciate that. As always, enjoy!**

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Chapter 8: A Long Day

Once everyone returned from their patrols, Kondo gave out the good news that the Shinsengumi were supposed to guard the Shogun while he visited Kyoto and passed through to Nijou Castle. Finally, the higher ups were starting to respect the Shinsengumi's abilities. Despite the good news, Hijikata ordered Souji to remain at headquarters because he suspected that Souji was getting a cold. Now matter how many times Souji told him he was overreacting, Hijikata would have none of it.

So there he was, all alone in headquarters. Except for Heisuke, who apparently was not feeling well either. After everyone else left headquartes, Heisuke retreated to his room while Souji decided to go make some tea for himself. Right when he was about to turn a corner in the hallway, he heard light footsteps coming from around the corner. Almost automatically, he leaned against the edge of the wall to hide himself and waited for the perfect time to attack the stranger. He knew it had to be an intruder, there was no one else here besides him and Heisuke. When a foot appeared out of the corner, Souji launched himself at the figure and pushed it against the wall, while his body pressed firmly against the figure so it would not be able to escape.

"O-Okita-san?!", a familiar voice gasped out in shock.

"Chizuru-chan? What the hell are you doing here?", Souji asked her, obviously not expecting her to be here. A blush stained her cheeks by the sudden closeness to Souji. He let out a small giggle in amusement before backing up from her. She turned around awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

"Well?", Souji pushed lightly. Just as her face was returning back to normal, it immediately fired up again of embarrassment for being reminded of his earlier question.

"I-I decided to stay here", she choked out. Souji lifted his brow.

"Why?", was all he said in a casual tone, but his green eyes pierced hers.

"I didn't want to get in anyone's way, so I thought it'd be better if I stayed here...", she then trained her eyes on the floor.

"I also wanted to make sure you and Heisuke-kun were okay", her voice grew softer as she spoke. Souji smiled at her shyness.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, we're both fine. After all, two grown men should know how to take care of themselves", Souji stated warmly, while her eyes finally met his.

"Actually while you're here, you can make yourself useful. Why don't you go and make some tea for everyone?", he suggested. Her face lit up and she gladly nodded and darted off towards the kitchen.

At noon, Souji decided that if he wanted to fight again, his illness would have to get better. He grabbed a small cushion and decided to rest on the porch to let the sun's warmth lull him to sleep. After a few minutes of dozing off, he heard those same light and recognizable footsteps approach him. He opened an eye and caught Chizuru trying to sneak past him without disturbing his sleep.

"Chizuru-chan, are you trying to sneak up on me?", he teased her while his voice was still deep and gruff from his short slumber.

"N-No I was just trying to pass through quietly so I wouldn't wake you up", she replied as a small blush appeared on her face, but she managed to compose herself shortly after.

"What are you doing sleeping outside?", she asked him softly after a moment of relaxed silence.

"I'd thought I could take a nap out here, but this pillow is so uncomfortable", Souji patted the cushion under him roughly to demonstrate its distressing form. Then a funny idea popped into his head.

"Although...if you insist on staying here to take care of me, you might as well just let me sleep on your lap, I'd bet it be much more relaxing than this stupid padding", Souji said while a mischievous grin formed on his face. Her eyes widened at the remark and her face turned into a deeper shade of red.

"W-What do you mean?", she stuttered.

"Eh? Do you really intend on letting a man, with a cold, nap uncomfortably?", he replied back by almost pouting, while purposely softening his gaze. After a moment, Chizuru slowly brought up her eyes.

"Alright...I'll do it", she mumbled out shyly. It was Souji's turn to widen his eyes in shock. He had expected her to run away from him, but instead she sat right beside him.

"Don't get cheeky with me or I'll kill you", he said lightly as he snuggled his head on her lap. Her heavy blush still remained, and Souji grinned, content by the fact that he could easily make her so flustered. He finally let his eyes close gently, and began to drift off. After several quiet minutes, he could feel Chizuru brushing away his reddish-brown locks that hung over his face. He smiled to himself without letting her know he was awake. 'I'll be sure to tease her later', Souji thought to himself, before surrendering to sleep.

Later that evening after dinner, Heiske was fast asleep, Chizuru was washing the dishes, and Souji went inside the dojo room and practiced swinging his sword. There was no way he was going to lose his form, even if he had been stuck in headquarters. After an hour or so, sweat glistened off his body and his muscles slightly ached. All of the sudden, he was immediately overcome with a sense of dread. He could not explain why he felt that way, but Souji was the kind of person who always followed his instincts. He stepped outside and was embraced by a surprising cool breeze that blew through the night. He started to wander around aimlessly for any sign of anything that could throw him of edge. When he reached the courtyard, his eyes immediately locked into those crimson-red eyes he hated the most. Kazama was not facing Souji. He stood at the top of one of the walls surrounding the perimeter. Kazama's presence had also been noticed by Chizuru, who was standing right across from the wall at the ground, looking at the man's eyes with fright. It had seemed that the two of them were conversing about something, while Chizuru tried to act bravely by reaching her hand to her own sword. There was also something else written across her face. Was it bewilderment? Shock? Souji just figured it was part of her nerves. Soon two other figures appeared out of nowhere beside Kazama. One of them Souji recognized as Amagiri, while the other one was a dark-skinned man with long blackish-blue hair who wore a wicked smile. Souji almost jumped in when both men said something to Chizuru that he could not quite hear, but the dark-skinned man pointed a handgun directly at her.

"There's no need for that, Shiranui", Kazama interjected calmly then turned his attention back to Chizuru, while Souji silently approached them to better hear what they were saying.

"Whether you admit the truth or not, it doesn't change our purpose here. Honestly, we don't need your permission to kidnap you", Kazama stated then flew of the wall and landed gracefully in front Chizuru.

"Women are very valuable", Kazama started to step closer towards Chizuru. She tried to step back but her back eventually reached the outside of a building.

"Now come with me", Kazama's voice lowered dangerously into a command and extended a slender hand to her. Of course, Chizuru did not even budge. The look of greed in Kazama's eyes strengthened into pure lust. Realizing that Chizuru would not be so reluctant to him, he reached out his hand to grab her. Just as his touch was an inch away from her, Souji popped out of his hiding spot and slashed his sword at Kazama. Being the mysteriously good swordsman that he was, Kazama dodged Souji's attack effortlessly and backed up a few yards away from him.

"Okita-san!", Chizuru exhaled in relief as Souji stepped in front of her.

"You again? I see, a country dog like you has a sharp tongue", Kazama mused while giving Souji a flagitious smile. Souji ignored him and bantered back.

"Gotta say, it looks bad when you try to take away small children in the dark. What the hell do you want with her?", Souji lifted his sword while sneering lightly. Kazama's smile faded and looked at Souji with incurious eyes.

"This is a problem between us Oni, an insect such as yourself has no reason to get involved", Kazama glared at Souji. 'Oni?', Souji wondered, but he did not give much thought to it as he prepared himself into a fighting stance. He glanced back at Chizuru.

"What're you still doing here? Didn't you get the hint to run away?", Souji questioned Chizuru.

"But-", she started to protest, but Kazama cut her off.

"You're not going anywhere", he stated coldly.

"It's not a good idea to get distracted in the midst of battle", Souji said as he swung again at Kazama, who was still able to move away from the blow. Kazama's evil smiled returned.

"What, you think you can still fight against me?", Kazama laughed at his own words.

"Oh, this is wonderful", Kazama chuckled, and put a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You'll have plenty of time to regret lifting your sword against an Oni after I've sent you to hell. Fight me if you wish, but you'll certainly die. At least you would provide me with _some _entertainment", Kazama smiled cruelly, but Souji returned the same look. Kazama began to draw his sword out until Amagiri placed a hand in front of him, to which surprised everyone.

"Amagiri? Are you trying to spoil my fun?", Kazama gave him an annoyed look.

"C'mon Amigiri! Let him have his fun", Shiranui boasted.

"We have no reason to start trouble with the Shinsengumi yet", Amagiri stated plainly. Kazama snarled and slammed the remaining part of his sword into its scabbard.

"Well that's too bad, I guess I'll just find other targets to shoot at, not like we were going to see much here anyway", Shiranui almost whined. With that, Shiranui and Amagiri faded into the night. Kazama regarded Souji once more.

"It looks like you got lucky tonight, human. I'll leave her to your...incapable hands for now. Do try and keep her alive.", Kazama started to turn away, but he darted his bloody eyes towards Chizuru.

"I'll be back for you some day soon. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am", Kazama stated with a glint of lust in his crimson eyes, before disappearing within the moon's casting glow. Souji wanted to run after him, but he knew there was not much he could do in his current condition. Chizuru looked at him worryingly before losing herself in her own thoughts. Souji had been curious about what the strange men had wanted from her, but he knew it did not concern him; and frankly, a part of him did not care. Once again, Souji has stepped in front Chizuru only to fulfill Kondo's wishes.

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**I am glad this chapter was shorter (last one really was overwhelming). Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter, I am glad I finally addressed Chizuru's upcoming conflict with Kazama. SPOILER: Next chapter will be one of the first turning points for Souji! So stay tuned! And as always, have an awesome day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write in a while (life caught up with me). For further notice, future chapters may take a while to post, at least until the 14th of next month. Besides that, I've been so excited to write this chapter! I'll stop rambling now and let you guys enjoy this chapter.**

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Chapter 9: Road to Disintegration

That same night, the rest of the Shinsengumi returned late from their mission of protecting the Shogun. Souji had to alert them of what had happened with Kazama and the others. Naturally, Hijikata demanded to know what Kazama wanted from Chizuru. Chizuru just shrugged and stated that she did not know why either, but Souji could see past her lie. He knew she was hiding something from everyone, but he did not expose her to anyone. He would only confront her about the situation if it got Kondo involved. Exhausted and fatigued, Souji started to head back towards his room. He passed the courtyard again and approached the corner of a complex. All of the sudden, air escaped from his lungs as the horrible tingling sensation returned to his throat. He leaned heavily on a column as he started to cough, but tried desperately to silence himself by covering his mouth. He must have made it worse when his body involuntarily gurgled out blood. He stared in disbelief at the blood he had spat out onto the stone floor. Quickly composing himself, he wiped off the dribbled blood from his mouth and left the scene immediately, hoping no one had noticed what happened to him. Finally reaching his room, he fell on his futon, utterly weak. 'I must have overworked myself today' he tried to coax himself, but he knew deep down that something had been entirely worse in his body. Souji decided not to think about it anymore, and easily submitted himself to his tiredness.

After some time, Kondo requested a doctor, known as Matsumoto Ryoujun, to give check ups to his men. When he arrived, he spent the entire day inspecting the men and treating them to any illnesses. This was the perfect opportunity for Souji to finally figure out what was wrong with him. In one of Matsumoto's breaks, Souji requested to have a private physical with him. Souji did not want to join the others in their health inspection because he did not want them to find out that he was ill yet. If he was going to tell anyone, he would have to hear about it on his own first.

The day had gone by quick and Matsumoto already finished examining everyone. Although, he had reported that a third of the men were sick or injured, and that headquarters was so dirty that anyone could be afflicted with a disease. Determined to get everyone in shape in the following day, Kondo ordered everyone to spend the entire day cleaning. No one was happy about doing chores the whole week, not even Souji. However, it provided him the perfect window of opportunity to meet with Matsumoto while everyone else was distracted. Several days later, both men finally met in the empty courtyard.

"So, what seems to be the problem?", Matsumoto got up to the chase, as both men proceeded walking towards a nearby bench.

"I think I'm getting sick, but I don't want to trouble anyone about it just yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you alone", Souji spoke in his usual casual tone, but there was a hint of seriousness.

"Okay, what are your symptoms?", Matsumoto asked.

"I've been losing some weight lately, but that's because I don't eat that much anyway. But I'm also more tired lately, and I'll sweat in the middle of the night. I've also been coughing quite a bit, but it may be because I'm getting a fever", Souji remained calm as he listed his symptoms.

"But I've also started to cough up some blood too", Souji added in his same voice, but he avoided Matsumoto's gaze as he said it. They finally reached the bench and sat down on it, both keeping grim expressions on their faces. Matsumoto registered all of the information for a moment before speaking.

"You've had all small appetite, a constant mild fever, break out in a sweat at night, and cough", Matsumoto restated.

"Yeah...", Souji affirmed softly. Matsumoto sighed deeply and his face hardened.

"I'll be honest with you, Okita. You have tuberculosis", he stated solemnly. It had hit Souji like a tidal wave. He froze in place, as color drained from his face. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating for a moment. Souji even thought he had heard Matsumoto wrong. But he had not. Matsumoto sounded sure of himself when he said his diagnosis. Souji forced his shocked feelings away and looked at Matsumoto with a small grin.

"Had a feeling that was it. The real thing, huh? The famous disease?", Souji was proud of himself for maintaining a steady voice. The doctor's face looked at him with a stunned expression.

"Hm, you aren't surprised?", Matsumoto asked in return. Honestly, he had not been surprised. He knew something had been wrong with him for a while now, but something deep inside of him had hoped he was wrong.

"Well, it's my body, Doc. Gotta tell you though, I'm not really used to getting my health advice from doctors, you know?", Souji did not really know what he was rambling about and started to laugh nervously.

"This isn't a laughing matter", Matsumoto said sternly as he furrowed his brows.

"Oh don't let this fool you. I'm scared shitless, believe me", Souji did not know why he was speaking truthfully.

"I suggest you leave the Shinsengumi and recuperate. You need to relax and take it easy. Go somewhere where the air is cleaner. Eat healthy and keep up your energy", Matsumoto advised seriously. The idea seemed so alien that Souji could not help but to smile sideways.

"Sorry, no can do", Souji answered bluntly. Matsumoto probably thought he was joking as he tried to continue speaking.

"Look, this is serious. If you don't deal with this-", but Souji cut him off before he could finish.

"You're asking me to leave the Shinsengumi, Doc. I can't do that", Souji stated simply.

"Why are you so desperate to stay here?", Matsumoto questioned while relaxing his face a little. Souji's smile did not disappear as he inhaled air to speak.

"My life's only got one purpose, and when I might die doesn't change that", he claimed easily. It did not matter if he had tuberculosis or a simple fever, either one of those illnesses would not slow him down. He devoted himself, body and soul, to Shinsengumi. To Kondo.

"I'm here to kill anyone who stands against the Shinsengumi. Simple as that", Souji stated bluntly, while his face grew more serious.

"If I die, I can't fulfill that purpose, sure. But sitting on my ass out in the country isn't going to fulfill it either", he continued.

"You get it? If I'm going to die, then that's a reason for me to stay, not a reason for me to go", Souji explained his reasons. He would not allow himself to abandon the Shinsengumi. What for? If he left, there would be nothing waiting for him away from the Shinsengumi. He would only rot away from this cursed world, and anxiously await death. His sole purpose, his only reason of living, was to kill. Nothing more, nothing less. His grave would be dug beside others soldiers, that was his will to die. His fate. Matsumoto silently observed Souji then spoke.

"...I understand", he answered slowly. Then he stoop up straight and faced Souji.

"If your condition worsens, then you may end up causing trouble for your friends. You understand that, don't you?", Matsumoto asked in order to assure Souji if he was sure about the path he had chosen. He did not give Souji time to respond when he continued.

"If you insist on staying, then you must agree to do as I tell you. If you won't, then I'll tell Kondo about your condition. I think we both know what he'll do", a smile appeared on his face as he threatened Souji.

"Low blow, Doc", Souji acknowledged warmly.

"Man... This means I'm gonna have to take some really disgusting medicine, doesn't it?", Souji whined a bit and almost pouted too.

"Of course", Matsumoto looked at him as if that was the stupidest thing he had ever heard, but both men could not help but laugh. After their small laughter seceded, Matsumoto grew silent and looked out to the distance. Souji grinned and nudged him.

"Look, Doc... Please don't tell Kondo and the guys about this, okay? Promise?", Souji's voice was light and his request almost sounded like a plea. He did not want anyone else to know about his illness. If anybody found out they would surely try to force Souji to leave in order to recuperate. They could do it for his own good, but Souji did not want their sympathy. He did not deserve it. Matsumoto seemed to have noticed his small hint of desperation and his eyes focused on Souji's emerald ones.

"Well, I suppose there are...certain things that not everyone needs to know", Matsumoto said with a worried expression, but at least he respected Souji's decision. He breathed out a deep sigh and gazed at the courtyard again.

"There's something I've already been keeping secret. I just can't bring myself to tell her...", Matsumoto began saying. 'Her? Is he referring to Chizuru?', Souji wondered. Matsumoto looked like he was pondering something as he glanced up at the sky for a moment.

"There's a...rumor that Kodou is working for a group of extremists. Some of the Imperial nationalist ronin. How could I tell her that?", Matsumoto hesitated while he spoke. At that instant, Souji could have sworn he heard an almost inaudible gasp. It was so familiar to him that he immediately knew from whose mouth it came from. 'Chizuru...', Souji thought sadly. He turned to Matsumoto to see if he sensed Chizuru's presence, but he seemed to not have noticed. It did not surprise him though, after all, he had exceptional perception skills.

"Well, sometimes you get the bear...", Souji started to phrase an old saying.

"...and sometimes the bear gets you. Yes, I know", Matsumoto finished.

"Well, I'll be around more in the future, to come by and check on you. Make sure you don't push yourself too hard, all right?", Matsumoto told Souji as he stood up and started to depart.

"Thanks, Doc", replied Souji as his farewell as he watched the doctor take his leave. He remained seated on the bench to reflect on all that has happened. He has tuberculosis, a fatal disease. He chose to die alongside the Shinsengumi in order to still fight for Kondo until his last breath. Chizuru's father had betrayed them by joining the rebellion. To top it all off, Chizuru must have heard everything that he and Matsumoto talked about. Souji sighed and gazed out into the courtyard. It was time to finally confront Chizuru.

"Chizuru-chan", he called out in his usual casual tone. Once again, he heard her faint gasp. He waited for her to appear, but she still had not come out from her hiding spot.

"C'mon Chizuru-chan. You can come out now", he assured her. She finally poked her head out nervously from a corner, which made Souji's mouth twist slightly into a self-satisfied smile. He stared directly at her as she started to walk towards him slowly.

"It's all right, come sit down over here", Souji encouraged while patting the spot on the bench next to him. She averted her own eyes from him.

"All right", she mumbled softly as she took a seat next to him, while her eyes still focused on ground beneath her. For a short moment, which seemed like hours, none of them said anything to each other, creating an awkward silence.

"Um...", Chizuru struggled to clear the air.

"You didn't buy all the crap that doctor was saying, did you? C'mon, do I really look like I'm sick?", he tried desperately to persuade her that everything she had just learned was a lie. Deep down, though, he knew that she had heard past his remark.

"I don't want you to take this seriously, all right? He was just guessing. Overreacting", he was still able keep his voice playful and teasing. Chizuru did not respond, she just kept looking down. Souji had to figure out a way to ensure that she would not say anything about his illness.

"You wouldn't tell anyone about something that was just a guess, right?", he kept hinting, hoping she would get the message.

"If you tell anybody, then I'll probably have to kill you after all", he tried to tease, but he was hopelessly running out of excuses. She had not moved a muscle, but she finally spoke up.

"You say that so much, Okita-san...", she stated sadly. He did not expect her to say that. Usually, every time he threatened her, she would cower in fear. However, this time his threat did not faze her.

"Yeah, I guess I do", he added softly, not really knowing how to respond, while a sad smile appeared on his face. Finally, he stood up and started to walk away, praying she would keep her silence. About a second later, he heard her get up as well.

"Okita-san...", she called out his name softly. Souji stopped and slowly turned around to face her. They both finally looked straight at each other in the eye.

"I won't tell anyone. About your...your illness. I promise", her voice shook a little, but her tone was sincere and honest. Souji gave her a warm smile.

"Thanks", he replied back gently before he left. He never really expressed his gratitude to anyone, especially towards Chizuru. However, he was grateful that she would willingly keep his disease a secret. He knew that he could not hide it forever, but he would rather have everyone find out about it when it was too late. For now, he would act as if nothing had happened to him and keep on fighting.

'I can still fight', Souji thought to himself while he retreated towards destruction.

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**I hate myself for making Souji sick in this story, but I have to because it's his illness that impacts Souji a lot in his route. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. By the way, I'm sorry for not proof reading previous chapters well enough, I'll go back and edit them later. Have an awesome day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Remember when I said that story will be more than 10 chapters? Well after this chapter it certainly will be. In fact, the story will most likely exceed 15 chapters (maybe reaching 20). Also, I know that this story is categorized in romance, but there are not a lot of SoujiXChizuru lovey-dovey moments yet. I really want the story to focus on Souji and not just Chizuru. So before there is any romance, the story has to clearly define Souji's character. Please bear this in mind, because I don't want anyone to have false expectations. As always, enjoy!**

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Chapter 10: Treasured Moments

Supposedly, after Souji's run in with Chizuru, Kazama paid Chizuru an unwelcomed visit to headquarters. Luckily, he was not trying to kidnap her. Instead, he went to confirm Chizuru's relationship with Kodou. It was revealed that Kodou had gone missing because he was working with Kazama, along with the anti-foreign faction. Before Kazama could do anything else, Hijikata, Harada, and Heisuke barged in, which caused him to leave. Since then, Chizuru had not acted like herself at all. She became quiet and hardly ever went out, except on patrols because someone forced her to go. However, she did meet some girl that Harada talked about, and both of them easily developed a friendship. Thanks to the girl called Sen, Chizuru's troubles seemed to have lessened. In fact, she grew more confident, much to everyone's surprise.

As for the rest of the gang, some of them still went out drinking every now and then, despite Hijikata becoming more strict. Itou kept getting on everyone's nerves, but there was not anything that could have been done about him. By pretending to be dead, Souji hardly ever saw Sannan-san. Even though he was hiding, he grew more capricious and distant as he kept on studying the Water of Life. However, the Shinsengumi could not suspend the experiments because the Bakufu still ordered them to perfect the medicine.

Souji could hardly do anything anymore, except go on patrols. He tried to cover up his illness the best he could from everyone, which seemed to have worked. Chizuru surprisingly visited Souji a lot in the mornings to make sure that he was fine. Ever since their day in the courtyard, she would visit him. She no longer held any fear towards him, and she could easily be herself around him. Of course, Souji still teased and threatened her most of the time, but it was not out of malice. He still kept a distant eye on her to assure that she would not say anything about his tuberculosis. However, it seemed unnecessary because she did keep her promise to him, and for that, Souji would be eternally grateful to her.

After one restless night, Souji woke up drenched in sweat. He decided to wash himself and dry off in the warm air. He sat on the steps of a porch and let his loose, damp hair blow freely in the wind. Souji just happened to be sunbathing on the same area where Chizuru cheerfully polished the wooden floors of the porch . He silently watched her so she would not be able to sense him. It fascinated him how her doing chores could make her so happy. After several minutes, Chizuru finished and stood back to admire her hard work, while wiping off her sweated forehead.

"That'll do it", she praised herself. Souji decided to surprise her by making his presence known.

"Finished already?", he teased lightly. She jumped back and gasped in shock, while a small blush stained her cheeks. After taking a good look at him, she furrowed her brows and puffed her cheeks in a way, that Souji had to admit to himself, was pretty cute.

"Okita-san! What are you doing out here when you're still wet?", her tone was slightly strict. Souji just smiled at her.

"I sweated last night in my sleep so I decided to take a bath. Now I'm just drying off here in the sun", he let his head fall back and closed his eyes as he relaxed on the steps.

"I don't care how nice the whether is, if you're wet and stay outside for too long you'll catch a cold!", she reprimanded. He laughed a her sudden stern demeanor

"It's alright, don't worry", he assured her.

"It's not alright at all! You need to take better care of yourself!", she responded. Souji opened an eye to her in amazement and chuckled.

"Wow. When did you become such a nag? You worry too much! You're starting to act more like Hijikata-san", he started to tease her while he tried putting his damp hair back up. She gasped at the remark and almost stomped her way towards him.

"I told you that you have to properly dry yourself!", she stood behind him and grabbed the towel that hung over his shoulder. She abruptly started to dry off his hair, which took Souji by surprise.

"Chizuru-chan! Why do have to be so rough and forceful!?", he complained while his body cringed. She still kept on muffling the towel over his head.

"No reason", was all she said. Souji immediately sat still, obviously not expecting her to say that. He could not help himself but to grin at her random consideration towards him.

"All right, that's enough", he finally got up so she could stop and quickly put his hair up again to the usual hairstyle so she would not insist on drying it again. She jumped back again in embarrassment, probably realizing her forwardness. He turned around to face her.

"There's something I want to ask you", he started. Chizuru hmm-ed in response and waited for his question.

"Truthfully, do you like the way my hair looks?", he asked. Chizuru was taken aback by the random question but she smiled.

"I honestly think it suits you well", she complimented. Souji grinned triumphantly.

"Really!? I'm glad! Thanks a lot!", he replied warmly. He then pointed a finger at his hair and spoke up again.

"The truth is, I was trying to copy Kondo-san with this", admiration was clear in his voice.

"You're right! It is the exact same hairstyle", she started to giggle.

"You can't tell anyone about this, or I'll have to kill you", he winked teasingly.

"Okay", she added cheerfully while seeing past his small threat and laughed again, which made Souji laugh along with her.

The next morning, Shinpachi reported to the Shinsengumi that the Shogun had passed away. It was not just terrible news to the Shinsengumi, but also to the entire Bakufu army. Souji was angry for Kondo because he knew that times would get harder on him and everyone else as well. Shortly after, the Choushuu conquest brought about the shocking conclusion that was the Bakufu's army great defeat. The Bakufu, which had been unscathed for two-hundred-and-sixty years, was slowly crumbling away. By September, bulletin boards, that claimed the Choushuu Domain being villainous, where being stripped away. The Shinsengumi was later ordered to protect these boards. The task was boring, but it was highly important. One late night, when it was Harada's turn to watch over the boards, several rebels tried to take down the boards. Harada managed to capture some of the men easily while others retreated. He was heavily rewarded with cash and invited everyone to the red-light district to celebrate. Everyone was more than happy to spend a night to have fun, as they all walked together towards a bar.

"Sano! You've really done us a service! I never thought you'd use the reward money to treat us all!", Shinpachi exclaimed enthusiastically while putting an arm over Harada. Souji looked at Shinpachi and pointed a finger at him.

"Shinpachi-san, if you really want to praise him, you ought to mention that he protected the signboards", Souji teased lightly.

"Yeah, there's always that too", Shinpachi's voice lost its glee, causing everyone to laugh. They finally reached the bar and Shinpachi sprinted ahead of everyone.

"Well, Sano's paying for tonight! Drink all you like and sweep away the gloom of the day!", he cheered at everyone. Harada caught up to him frantically.

"Bastard! This is my money you're talking about!", Harada sneered at him as he walked in.

"Sano-san, thank you! I'll be sure to drink till I'm way past drunk!", Heisuke ran in happily. Souji grinned and stepped past Shinpachi.

"It's not like all of us can drink sake though", Souji said loud enough for Hijikata to hear.

"Enough of that crap. Eat whatever food you want", Hijikata retorted back sternly, as everyone else stepped inside. They were led to a large dimly lit room that was adorned with colorful fans and beautiful murals were painted on the doors. Souji sat in between Saito and Chizuru, hopeful that they would provide him enough entertainment. Everyone patiently waited to be served until the door was slid open, which caught all of their attention.

"Greetings to you all, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. I shall be accompanying you gentlemen this evening. My name is Kimigiku. I hope you have a pleasant time", a geiko bowed respectively as she spoke in such a polite manner. Some of the guys, even Chizuru, gawked at her appearance, but all Souji thought about was getting a drink.

"So pretty...", Chizuru mumbled out loud, perhaps not realizing she was talking to herself. Kimigiku smiled warmly at her, and Chizuru bowed her head in embarrassment. After several moments, everyone was feasting and drinking to their heart's content.

"This sake sure is great! It's the thrill like bam, Bam, BAM!", Heisuke yelled out, to drunk to focus on what he was saying.

"Heisuke, you've only been drinking and not putting anything into your stomach!? You'll get drunk!", Shinpachi looked at the young kid. 'Too late, he already is', Souji noted to himself while taking another sip of his sake.

"It's fine for today!", Heisuke slurred out. Souji and Saito were perhaps the only men in the room who could hold down their liquor long enough compared to everyone else, whose faces where already rosy. Shinpachi then faced Chizuru.

"Chizuru-chan! You ain't drinking, how are you supposed to get drunk, huh!?", Shinpachi was clearly tipsy at this point. Chizuru nervously picked at her food.

"Well, uhh...I can't drink so uhh...", she laughed nervously as she spoke.

"Then I think you should eat till your stuffed...", he replied back while tipping his head back to engulf more sake. From the other side of the room, Kimigiku was conversing with Hijikata.

"I've heard you're like a demon, Hijikata-san of the Shinsengumi. However, it would seem an act as you're such a good and handsome man", she flattered.

"I get that a lot", Hijikata replied while taking another sip of sake. Shinpachi and Heisuke spat out their drinks in unison at Hijikata's remark before almost falling over from laughter.

"Hijikata-san's already drunk!", Shinpachi exclaimed.

"That was fast! He never could hold his liquor!", Heisuke chimed in before laughing hysterically again. Souji could not help but laugh along with them. Even before they all became part of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata would always be the first one to get drunk after just one small bottle of sake. Throughout their fun, Chizuru just stared at Kimigiku in awe. She finally sighed bopped her head down after staring at Kimigiku for a long time. Souji just observed Chizuru and wondered what she may have been thinking about. Then Shinpachi interrupted his train of thought.

"Still, if we can get this sort of money for protecting the signboards, who knows how much we can get if we catch all the culprits", Shinpachi mused while turning to Harada.

"Speaking of which Sano, why did you let them get away? If there were only eight of 'em you could've handled 'em all", Shinpachi pondered out loud.

"Yeah, I thought that was weird too...", Heisuke commented. Harada huffed slightly and turned to Chizuru.

"Chizuru, were you out at all last night?", Harada spoke in such a serious tone it made Souji sit up.

"Huh? No", she replied simply, which made Harada glare at her.

"Are you sure about that?", his voice lowered.

"Yes, I'm always at headquarters at night", she answered a little frightened.

"What's all this about, Sano?", Shinpachi asked. Harada's face softened a bit.

"It's just...when we were up against the soldiers that night, someone who looked just like Chizuru-chan was there, and then our formation fell apart", Harada recounted. Souji silently processed Harada's story and looked back at Chizuru, then he suddenly remembered something important.

"Wait a second... Do you think it could be that girl you, Heisuke, and I met a while ago during our patrol", stated Souji as Chizuru stared back at him with wide eyes.

"The girl said her name was Nagumo Kaoru, right? She really did look a lot like you didn't she?" Souji wondered out loud. Chizuru lowered her head.

"But that's not enough to...", she trailed off sadly.

"I didn't really think she did, but...after all, she was dressed up as a girl, you know?", Heisuke added. Then Saito came up with the best idea that Souji had ever heard him say.

"Then I believe we should have Yukimura-kun dress up in a girl's kimono", he suggested quietly. Chizuru gasped in shock while everyone eyed her carefully, she was already starting to act panicked.

"Chizuru!", Heisuke stood up excitedly, Shinpachi did not take long to join him.

"Hell yeah! That's a good idea!", Shinpachi then turned to Kimigiku.

"Hey Kimigiku-san, would you dress this kid in a girl's kimono for us!?", he almost jumped in excitement. Chizuru was crying out in protest while Hijikata tried to stop them, but Kimigiku put a hand on him.

"Very well, I shall do my outmost", she answered politely, and led Chizuru out the room. After a moment, the men continued to drink as they waited patiently for Chizuru. Hijikata had stepped out from the room for some fresh air, the alcohol was already draining his energy. Suddenly Kimigiku's voice was heard through the other side of the door.

"Everyone, my apologies for the wait", she called out and the door slid open to catch everyone's attention. Souji could have sworn his heart skipped a beat at what he saw next. A woman dressed in an intricate red kimono slowly stepped into the room. Her dark hair was slightly pulled back into a beautifully arranged display. Her face was smooth and pale, except for the rosy-pink blush that appeared on her face, as her lips glossed a soft red. After his moment of bewilderment, Souji finally recognized her as Chizuru, when he noticed her warm honey-brown orbs. He took a quick glance around at everyone, who were all still trapped in her spell. Heisuke did not notice he was overfilling his cup of sake, Shinpachi had dropped his food, Harada's mouth looked like it was about to drop to the floor, and Saito stood motionless as he gawked.

"I-Is that you Chizuru?", Heisuke stuttered out.

"Y-Yes", she answered softly while bowing her head more.

"Wow. Talk about a change! For a second I didn't know who you were!", Souji praised lightly, glad that he did not sound too infatuated.

"Well? Does she look the same as the girl, Sano?", Saito finally pulled everyone back to reality.

"Hmm... I don't know. Chizuru-chan's just so damn pretty, I can't tell anymore!", he eyed Chizuru again, which made her squeal. Heisuke got up again.

"You said it! Chizuru's pretty!", Heisuke claimed. Once again, Shinpachi joined him.

"Yeah! She's so good-looking, I forgot it was her!", Shinpachi added. Souji cocked a brow at him, while laughing.

"Shinpachi-san, you've fallen under her spell?", he teased. Shinpachi looked at him while scratching the back of his head.

"Don't make me blush!", he said giddily, while everyone else, beisides Chizuru, laughed.

"Please, stop it!", Chizuru ran out the room all embarrassed.

"Hey, Shinpachi! Why you gotta say such weird stuff?", Heisuke reprimanded.

"Sorry", Shinpachi replied while he looked half-guilty. The men finally sat down and enjoyed another shot of sake before Shinpachi started clapping his hands to make an announcement.

"All right! Sano-san, do that thing you always do at parties like this!", Shinpachi cheered.

"Yeah! Until you do it, it doesn't feel like we're drinking with you!", Heisuke urged as well. They were referring to Harada's famous belly dance. He had a scar on his stomach, which was proof of an earlier attempt to kill himself. Years ago, Shinpachi made fun of him by drawing a face around the scar with ink, and that was the start of Harada's playful performance. Those were pleasant moments, that Souji wished he could relive everyday. But his only dream was to help Kondo towards his dream, nothing more than that. After several attempts of persuasion, Harada finally agreed to do it.

"Then that means I better go get Chizuru-chan before she gets into trouble", Souji stated while getting up and walking towards the door. He slid the door open and was surprised to see Chizuru sitting right outside, but with Hijikata. A coil sprang deep within Souji as he saw the two of them.

"Sorry to intrude. I'll leave you two alone", Souji's voice was light, but it had an irritated tone to it. He began to shut the door when Shinpachi stopped him and peered out from behind.

"Hey, Hijikata-san! Sano's stomach show is about to begin!", he chimed. Then Heisuke also joined in as well.

"Chizuru, you hurry up and come too!", he encouraged. Finally they all returned to the room and watched in joy as Harada made a fool of himself at the center of the room. He danced oddly with fans, trying to imitate how a geiko would dance. Everyone laughed and drank like there was no tomorrow. Souji's foul mood was washed away as he relished the moment, clapping and cheering in pure bliss. 'Those were precious moments', he would later think back in the future. It would be the last time that all of them would celebrate together, but no one knew that then. They also did not know what tragedies and darkness awaited them in the cold and uncertain future.

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**Did you guys like the small plot twist in the end? I didn't mean for this chapter to be so long again, but I wanted to make this chapter fun and light-hearted for everyone to read (I know I couldn't go through this chapter without squealing and laughing haha). I apologize if there are any spelling/grammar errors, I'll go back and probably fix those throughout the week. The next chapter probably won't be posted until Friday or the weekend (I've got a lot of other work to do in real life, but that just makes me all the more excited to write these chapters) . Thanks for your patience! As always, have an awesome day!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm thrilled to hear that some of you are enjoying the story! It motivates me more to write now! Anyway, if the story hasn't been dark yet, it certainly will be after this chapter and so forth. Thank you all for waiting patiently for this release, unfortunately I have other things going on right now which doesn't give me enough time to write or revise. I'll probably make this a long chapter since I believe you guys deserve more content for your patience. As always, enjoy!**

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Chapter 11: Demonic Truth

Winter had approached again, and as predicted, the Shinsengumi had started to tilt over. Itou was growing more distant and suspicious. Rumors were being spread that he was gathering men in order to leave the Shinsengumi. It only depended on what sort of excuse Itou could come up with to go on his separate ways. Harada, Shinpachi, Chizuru, and Souji reflected about rising corruption, while Saito stood nearby swinging his sword.

"Huh!? Itou-san treated you to a night out!?", Harada burst at Shinpachi. Shinpachi shushed him and looked around to make sure no one else had overheard them.

"Lower your voice, Sano!", Shinpachi whispered harshly.

"He wanted me to defect with him", he continued.

"Defect?", Chizuru asked.

"He asked if I had issues with the Shinsengumi, and that the Bakufu's finished if it can't expel the foreigners. In the end, he asked if I'd leave with him", Shinpachi explained.

"Nagakura-san, what did you say?", Chizuru wondered. Shinpachi grinned at her.

"After he treated me to a boatload of spirits, I said working with him wouldn't be any fun", Shinpachi proclaimed proudly. Souji quietly listened the whole time. No one had ever trusted Itou to begin with, so it did not surprise him that the beauty-queen was trying to leave.

"Hajime-kun, weren't you with them?", Souji asked Saito, curious about his take on the issue. Saito sheathed his sword and turned slowly towards him.

"Yeah", he answered bluntly and quietly while still maintaining a serious tone. Saito and Shinpachi were one of the Shinsengumi's best swordsmen, along with Souji. Even if both of them did not accept Itou's offer, Souji could not help himself to be a little jealous of them. Later that evening, before the sun had set, Souji went out on patrol with Chizuru, both of them still conversed about the whole Itou dilemma.

"So he's approached the Second and Third Unit Captains", Souji recalled to Chizuru as both of them walked down the road, along with the rest of Souji's squad.

"Why didn't he invite me when I'm the First Unit's Captain?", Souji pondered, although he already knew why. Since they had met, the two always greeted each other sarcastically while trading venomous glares. Also, Souji could not forget his first encounter with him...

"If he does invite you, will you leave with him?", Chizuru asked in a worried tone.

"Naturally...", Souji replied as he walked past her, which made Chizuru halt and perk her head up in shock.

"Okita-san!", she was prepared to convince him out of it, the thought made Souji smile.

"I might have to kill him", he teased as he looked back at her.

"Jeez! That wasn't a very good joke!", she pouted out while Souji laughed, and she ran to catch up with him again. For some strange reason, that Souji could not figure out why, he felt like someone was watching them. He took a quick scan of the road, but no one was staring at him in particular except for common-men that were passing through. He was about to eradicate the strange feeling when a series of coughs reemerged in his throat. Chizuru noticed right away and tried putting a hand on his back for comfort, but he put an arm in front of her to assure her that he was fine. He did not want her to attract too much attention to them, in fear that the others might find out about his condition. He also was not in the mood to deal with her sympathy. Shortly after, the coughing seceded and they headed back towards home grimly, but Souji could still faintly sense the lurking presence from before.

Throughout the cold and darkening days of winter, everyone seemed to be on edge with one another. Souji's illness became progressively worse, but he forced himself to keep on fighting. On days when Souji remained in headquarters, he would admirably gaze out onto the falling snow. Deep down, he wished he could be reborn anew, just like how the snow would cover everything under its pure white veil. He craved for his old, healthy past, but wanted to push on ahead with Kondo's goal in the future. He hated lying to Kondo about his well-being, but if Souji was to stay by his side, he would carry on any type of pain.

March arrived, but it was still undergoing the transition from winter to spring. On one cold night, Souji woke up to the hideous screeches of a fury mixed in with Chizuru's yelping. He immediately ran to her room, along with the other captains and Kondo. The fury had made a deep cut on Chizuru's arm, while the desire for blood intoxicated him. Hijikata and Harada put him down eventually, and that's when Sannan-san showed up. He explained that the fury had gotten out of control and tried to escape. After, he turned towards Chizuru and asked about her wound.

"I'm fine", she replied hastily while shielding her arm away from Sannan-san, but he reached for her wound and blood started to form on his fingers. His body froze in a rigid stance for a second, until he started to wail in agony. He was sure enough having a lust for blood as his hair and eyes started to change. Everyone cautiously watched Sannan-san as he began to lick his hand that was stained in Chizuru's blood. Souji was prepared to kill him, but suddenly Sannan-san regained his senses and returned to his original form. No one could explain how it happened, but they did not give it much thought when Itou had walked in on them. Of course, he was in shock when he saw Sannan-san, who was still supposed to be dead. Kondo had to lead him away and try to calm him down, but ever since then, things got progressively worse for the Shinsengumi. As for Chizuru, she claimed that she could mange her own wound by wrapping it.

The next morning, Itou officially claimed his departure. The bastard could leave easily now that he had something over the Shinsengumi. Everyone was pissed, but their moods turned fouler when Saito and Heisuke decided to leave with Itou. By April, Itou's faction was prepared to step out of headquarters. Souji said his goodbyes to Heisuke already, so he and Chizuru now had to see Saito off.

"Well, things aren't going to be the same anyomore", Souji said in a playful voice. Saito looked at him with wistful, cool eyes.

"Perhaps so, but I am sure the Shinsengumi will mange well without me. After all, you still have Kondo-san and Hijikata-san around", Saito replied in his usual quiet tone. Chizuru stared at him with sad eyes.

"Are you sure you want to leave?", Chizuru asked worryingly. Saito gazed at the nearby sakura trees, and seemed in awe as he watched the soft, delicate pink petals fall.

"Time always moves on ahead, and things change along with it", Saito replied, but he did not exactly answer her question. He noticed both Souji's and Chizuru's blank stares and sighed.

"However, I also believe in the things that don't change. No matter what we experience in our separate paths, we'll always change, even the Shinsengumi will change. I'm glad I could fight honorably for it, but I must base my decisions off of the things that don't change", Saito explained and he began to turn away from them.

"If you ever visit, the two of us should spar again", Souji said. Saito's azure eyes faced Souji once more.

"Yeah", Saito replied simply, but his mouth curved up into one of his rare smiles before it faded away quickly, then Saito's back faced Souji and Chizuru as he walked away from them.

"Man, now what am I gonna do for fun now?", Souji complained lightly with a bittersweet grin on his face. Chizuru regarded him with curious eyes.

"Okita-san, are you going to miss Saito-san?", she asked. Souji scoffed at her then grinned.

"The only thing I'll miss about Hajime-kun is being able to spar with him, after all, he was one of the only people who could handle a fight with me", Souji explained in a cocky manner before heading back inside. Sure, he was going to miss his fights with Saito, but he was almost sad that he was leaving. Souji and Saito have never really expressed any form of friendship, but they did not need friendly gestures to convey their feelings. When they fought, their swords spoke for them, they both had the same intent. They saw themselves as nothing more than tools. Both were specially crafted swords that regarded nothing else except their orders. It was because the two of them were the same that they could easily understand each other, and they became challenging rivals to sharpen each other's blades. However, Souji could not deny that things have changed along with the passing of time. Soon, more devastating times would befall everyone...

After Itou and his company had left that day, Souji became outrageously ill. Not wanting to disturb anyone, he changed into his sleeping yukata and resigned in his room. He did not even leave to show up for dinner, but it had not mattered to him, he was a dying man anyway. He kept his lantern on, but he was slowly drifting asleep.

"Pardon me, Okita-san", Chizuru's voice surprised him from behind his door. He sat up and yawned before answering.

"Yeah, you can come on in", he invited warmly. Chizuru slid open the door with her good arm while smiling and stepped in with a tray of food. Souji raised a brow as she settled herself next to his futon.

"Chizuru-chan, are suggesting that you can't be without me for more than a minute that you have to bring your dinner here?", he asked her teasingly. She leaned back away from him in embarrassment.

"N-no, not at all", she waved her arms in protest as her face began to flush red.

"Hmm, then why'd you bring this?", Souji motioned at the food.

"Everyone was starting to eat dinner, but you weren't there, so I thought that you might want to eat in your room instead", she explained. Souji tried to study her quietly. There were times when Chizuru was easier to read than a signboard, but there were also moments in which her spontaneous actions would catch him off guard. This was one of those moments. Chizuru picked up the tray and tried to get up after awhile of Souji's silence.

"I'm sorry, I probably woke you up, you might not even be hungry. I should let you get some rest, so I'l-", Chizuru tried to ramble more as she was getting up, but Souji caught hold of her arm.

"It's okay, I guess I can eat a little. You really didn't have to do this, but...thank you", Souji smiled at her. He did not know why Chizuru was doing this for him, but he appreciated her company. A surprised expression stretched across Chizuru's face before softening as she sat back down. He tried to reach for one of the small bowls on the tray, but his hand was weak and it couldn't grasp a firm hold of the food. Souji furrowed his brows in frustration. 'Is this how weak I've become?', Souji thought inwardly while mentally cursing to himself. He could not let his disease get the best of him. He reached for the bowl again, but Chizuru grabbed a hold of it first. She took a spoonful of food and brought it towards Souji.

"What're you doing? -No,_ why_ are you doing this?", Souji asked her quizzically while narrowing his eyes at her. Chizuru met his gaze and looked at him seriously.

"If you're going to stay here and fight, then you shouldn't have to go through this ordeal alone...", she began to speak while her wide brown eyes pierced Souji's green ones.

"I know I promised you that I wouldn't tell anyone about your illness...but I won't watch you wither out all alone. I just can't sit back quietly and watch you suffer through this on your own and pretend that it's no big deal", Chizuru claimed while Souji's expression went blank.

"So please...Let me help you", her voice was soft and sincere, then she lifted the spoon towards his mouth again. Souji widened his eyes, stunned by words she had spoken. Unexpectedly, his face warmed up to a subtle shade of red.

"I...guess I don't have to kill you for helping me out...", he grumbled softly in half-embarrassment, and leaned his mouth towards the spoon. What was happening? Souji could not understand why he was so important to Chizuru, and neither had he cared, until now. Was it because he had protected her several times? If that was case, Souji would think that Chizuru was a fool. He had only stepped in front of her to guard her because it was his duty, he never did it out of his own whim. Still, why was he receiving this kind of attention that he knew he had not deserved? Of course, he would never admit out loud, but Chizuru had grown onto him. However, it was only a matter of time when he would no longer be useful to her.

After letting Chizuru feed him, Souji felt a little better than how he had earlier in the day. Just as he finished, Kai Shimada opened the door.

"Excuse me, but there is a female guest here to visit you in the conference area, Yukimura-kun. She would also like an audience with everyone else", Shimada informed them.

"A guest...for me?", she wondered out loud.

"Alright, we'll join everyone shortly", Souji dismissed Shimada then used most of his energy to get up. Chizuru helped him balance himself, then both of them walked towards the conference room. They arrived shortly, and Souji spotted Sen sitting in the middle of the room. He had met Sen once when he was out on patrol one day with Chizuru. Souji took a spot next to Shinpachi as everyone acknowledged their presence. Next to Sen sat an almost-recognizable woman dressed shinobi-like garb. 'Why do these girls want an audience with all of us?', Souji pondered.

"Osen-chan!", Chizuru was surprised to see her.

"You're going to come with me, Chizuru-chan", Sen stated bluntly, catching everyone by surprise.

"What do you mean?", asked Chizuru.

"We don't have time for this. Please get ready to leave immediately", the other woman stated calmly.

"But isn't this a bit out of the blue?", Chizuru asked what was on everyone's mind.

"Seriously. Why don't you explain the situation for us?", Shinpachi suggested.

"I believe you're familiar with Kazama Chikage", Sen referred.

"Kazama?!", Chizuru almost gasped out the name.

"He's with the Satsuma clan", Harada recalled.

"He, Amagiri, and Shiranui have been a thorn in our sides", Shinpachi added.

"Are you aware they're after her?", Sen asked.

"Indeed we are. I believe they call themselves 'oni' ", Kondo spoke up.

"They may be strong, but they're no oni!", Shinpachi exclaimed.

"I am also an oni", Sen claimed, once again catching everyone by surprise.

"She is from an ancient oni bloodline. She is Senhime-sama, a descendant of Suzuka Gozen. I am from the shinobi clan that has served the princess throughout the generations", the other woman explained. Souji was lost in thought as he processed all this new information. Oni were real creatures. It obviously helped to explain why Souji could never match up against Kazama's vigor.

"Come to think of it, weren't you at Shimabara?", Harada asked the woman.

"Oh, you're Kimigiku-san!", Shinpachi boasted.

"I see. I thought you were a bit too friendly. You were just after information on the Shinsengumi", Hijikata finally made the connection. Kimigiku giggled for having been discovered. Souji was surprised that Hijikata was able to make that distinction, considering he was easily drunk when he was at Shimabara.

"Since antiquity, those in power have come after us in hopes of gaining our powers for their own purposes", Sen continued.

"Generally speaking, the oni clans dislike fighting and getting involved in human wars. In the end, we went our separate ways and began living in hiding", Kimigiku explained.

"After mingling with the humans for so long, only a few pure-blooded oni remain", Sen added.

"Would you and Kazama fall into that category?", Kondo interjected.

"Yes. Kazama has the strongest blood in the West. The largest oni family in the East was the Yukimura family", Sen explained, while everyone looked stunned. 'So that means that Chizuru is...', Souji trailed off in his thoughts.

"I had heard that the Yukimura family had been destroyed", Sen continued as she turned her head to Chizuru.

"Now wait just a damn second! What're you saying? That Chizuru's an oni?!", Harada was in complete shock. Sen kept her eyes on Chizuru.

"Does any of this ring a bell to you?", Sen asked Chizuru. Chizuru then lifted her sleeve, up to where her wound should have been, but her skin seemed as though it had never been scratched before.

"Your injury! But it looked so deep", Shinpachi bewilderedly commented.

"It's because I'm an oni", Chizuru's voice had gone soft. So that was her secret that Souji knew she had kept hidden, he just never would have guessed that it was about her being a mythological creature.

"If those with strong or pure bloodlines breed, they can give birth to an even stronger oni", Sen went on.

"So that's what Kazama wants", Hijikata stated.

"Yes", Sen confirmed. Anger seeped through Souji. Kazama was planning on using Chizuru as a dog only to mate with her. If Souji had hated Kazama before, he now loathed him with all his might. He could picture the man's predatory hand grasping Chizuru's collar and grabbing her flesh... Souji forced the thought out of his head before he could go on a rampage. Instead, he fisted his hands and clenched his jaw.

"If Kazama goes all out against you, you'll be helpless to stop him", Sen stated.

"Hey, Senhime-san, don't you think that's a bit harsh?", Shinpachi questioned.

"We're the Shinsengumi referred to as the Mibu Wolves. We're not afraid of fighting an oni or two", Hijikata defended.

"You should be well aware of Kazama's strength. At least we might be able to protect her if she's with us", Kimigiku insisted.

"That implies you may not be able to protect her", Hijikata shot back, which threw the two women off guard.

"Yukimura-kun, what's your opinion on this?", Kondo finally brought some sense into the conversation. Everyone in the room turned to face Chizuru.

"You should decide if you want to leave with them or stay here with us", Kondo advised Chizuru.

"Kondo-san, don't say that!", Shinpachi reprimanded.

"Shut up, Shinpachi", Hijikata hissed. Chizuru's expression looked lost as she clenched her own hands.

"I...", she started to glance at everyone in the room, then her eyes traveled to Souji's. It seemed that she was hoping for the answer to be written out on his eyes, but Souji managed to express a blank look. This was a decision she would have to make on her own. If she stayed, the Shinsengumi would undoubtedly protect her, but at some point in time, Chizuru would have to rely on someone else besides Souji. If she left, the oni women could offer her the same protection, perhaps better too, considering they are not wrapped up in human affairs, but the possibility of Kazama taking her still existed. After a silent moment, Chizuru spoke.

"I want to stay here!", she declared seriously.

"Chizuru-chan...", Sen was obviously shocked by her answer, but nonetheless, she respected it. Souji did not know how to feel about Chizuru's decision. Part of him was glad she would stay with them, but another part was upset that he would not be able to be useful to her forever. If anything, he hated feeling useless towards anything. If he could not protect Chizuru, how was he supposed to remain by Kondo's side. It was then that Souji started to panic about how long he could fight before he would crumble away...

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**I finally finished this chapter! I know it took me a little longer to post. More action will be heading towards your way in the next chapter. A plot twist might be included in the next chapter or chapter 13. Like I've said before, it'll be hard for me to post chapters regularly. I only managed to get 3 hours of sleep last night and I'm starting to get sick, so bear with any errors I have made. I hope to get chapter 12 in by Sunday, if not it'll probably be sometime throughout next week. Anyways, thank you for your cooperation and understanding! Please post reviews about the story, and you can also make suggestions or ideas for extra scenes in the story's future and it might be featured (if it is I'll give you the honorable credit). As always, have an awesome day!**


	12. Chapter 12

**How has your weekend been? I hope it has been good! Thanks for waiting for this chapter, you guys are awesome! Anyway, I am not going to give out a lot of spoilers for this chapter because it'll definitely be monumental to the story (really long too). So without further a due, enjoy!**

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Chapter 12: Birth

After Sen's meeting, the Shinsengumi took immediate precautions for Kazama's arrival. He was bound to show up at any given moment to snatch Chizuru away. With Sannan-san's help, the Shinsengumi developed their secret "Rasetsu Unit", which consisted of the furies that have not gone totally insane yet. They kept watch at headquarters during the night for almost a week. Finally, Souji was woken up by the sound of their hideous cries and several gunshots that came from outside. The oni were here.

Before Souji could get up from bed, Shimada barged open the door.

"Hijikata-san has ordered you to standby here in case anything should happen", he conveyed urgently. As Souji was about to protest, Shimada had shut the door and left. 'Bullshit', Souji thought as he still got up anyway. He knew that Hijikata suspected something was wrong with him for awhile now, that is why Souji could not go out as much. He changed out of his sleeping yukata and put on his everyday clothes. He was not going to step outside, knowing well that he would not be an asset to his comrades against the oni. Wails were replaced by the captains' own war cries. They were bravely fighting against the oni while Souji was stuck in his room. 'Kondo-san must be out there too...', he thought sadly.

After several minutes, the battle had not seceded, and Souji was getting restless. He was about to slide open his door to join the fight, but instead the door was opened for him by someone else, and the next thing he knew Chizuru was thrown on top him, which sent him down onto the ground on his back. He looked up at the door to see Yamazaki Susumu standing there with a scowl on his face. Souji and Yamazaki were never on friendly terms. Yamazaki was strict and disciplined whereas Souji was laid-back and playful, which obviously put the two men into conflict with one another constantly. Yamazaki must have hated himself for throwing Chizuru in Souji's room out of all places, but he did not give it any further consideration as he quickly slid the door shut and ran off.

Souji was still on the ground with Chizuru still laying on top of his body. Granted the abnormal situation, Souji decided to have some fun.

"Gotta admit, I didn't figure you for this type of girl", Souji put on a charming grin as he teased her. She finally lifted her head up abruptly, which apparently happened to be way too close to his, and her eyes flew wide open when they met his.

"O-Okita?!", she exclaimed in complete surprise. Even though it was dark in his room, Souji could clearly see a heavy blush staining her face.

"Didn't think I'd be getting pushed down into bed tonight, least of all by you", he added playfully while giggling in amusement. Chizuru remained motionless on top of him, perhaps still in shock by the whole situation.

"Oh no! No no no! This is just a-a mistake! I didn't mean-! I was just...Yamazaki, he... Ah, um... It was an accident!", she miserably stammered out excuses while still being completely embarrassed. She was baffled and immediately shut herself up. Souji put a hand on her shoulder, taking note that she was still on him.

"Ah...really. Tell me... How is it? On top of me. Does it feel good?", he further teased her, glad he was able to keep his composure without laughing out loud. Her body went rigid against his.

"Huh? ...Oh!", she finally realized that she was still laying on top of him.

"I-I'm sorry!", and with that she quickly summoned tremendous speed and leapt off. She bowed her head as Souji stood up.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so so so so so sorry!", she kept embarrassingly apologizing to him while her face still maintained a deep red color. Souji furrowed his brows as he frowned at her.

"Hey, c'mon, it hurts me when you apologize so much. Makes me think you hate me or something", Souji honestly proclaimed. He never really cared about how others viewed him, except for Kondo, and now Chizuru. Was she already looking down on him? Was he really nothing to her anymore? The thought pained him.

"N-No, it's not that... I was just...um...", she responded, still at a loss for words. Both of them quietly stared at each other for a moment.

"Um...Okita, what did you just say?", Chizuru finally broke the awkward silence. Souji did not really want to repeat himself, but luckily her question faded away easily by the noises of the battle outside. Souji was finally brought back to the reality of the situation.

"It's getting pretty serious out there. The oni showed up?", he turned his gaze at the door while asking Chizuru about the setting outside.

"Y-Yes! That's right!", she exclaimed frantically, probably panicked that everyone else was fighting for her sake. Souji understood her, she had wanted to help them and make sure no one got hurt because of her. Souji's eyes found hers again.

"Yeah, I know, I wanna go out there and fight too, but Hijikata-san and Yamazaki'd get pissed. I don't need one mom, let alone two...", Souji sympathized with her while giving her a sad grin. He kept the same expression on his face when his thoughts wandered to Kondo.

"Kondo-san's out there though, right?", he asked her, but he already suspected that Kondo was indeed fighting. Chizuru frowned sadly.

"Yes... But he's fighting one of the oni...", she worryingly answered. Despite hearing that, Souji's face relaxed.

"Don't worry about him. He's an amazing swordsman. Way better than me", Souji acknowledged respectively, admiration was clear in his voice. He was confident Kondo would be fine, after all, he was the commander of the Shinsengumi. Souji then turned towards Chizuru.

"Well, if the oni get this far, then I'll get to fight 'em then", he grinned at her slightly, but he doubted the oni would ever pass through Kondo and everyone else. But if they were to pass through, would Souji be able to protect Chizuru? He kept his grin, but he was inwardly sulking at his helplessness.

"But... Listen, you oughta stay away from me, okay? I'm not good for you", he admitted to her without explaining why. It would be better for her if she would stop relying on him for protection that his body could not offer. That way she would not get hurt, and Souji could only focus on fighting for Kondo as long he could until his prominent end. Although, he could not lie to himself, he would miss her company. However, it was for the best of everyone. Better to cut ties now before anyone would get hurt in the future. After all, Chizuru could always find other sources of protection, like Hijikata...

Before Chizuru could respond, the sounds of battle had ceased, and Yamazaki came back to tell both of them that the oni had retreated, just as Souji had predicted. Afterwards, the night became still again...

As the year went on, things only got worse for the Shinsengumi as they moved to their new headquarters to Fudoudou Village. Itou and his faction were serving as the Imperial Mausoleum's guards, but they still acted suspiciously, even away from the Shinsengumi. Itou was a silent threat to the Shinsengumi because he saw that Sannan-san was alive, which could easily expose their Rasetsu Unit. To silence him, the Shinsengumi had to pay him with three-hundred ryo regularly. Despite their payments, Itou had secretly joined the Satsuma clan and was planning on murdering Kondo when Saito reported this to the Shinsengumi, which obviously put Souji on high alert. It had turned out that Hijikata had secretly ordered Saito to voluntarily join Itou's group to spy on them. Saito also reported that it was Itou's doing that killed Sakamoto Ryouma and tried to frame the Shinsengumi for his death. The Restoration of Imperial Rule was what sent the Bakufu and Imperial court into a new era. However, Sakamoto played a key role in the Restoration, and was apparently assassinated for it. Because Itou's actions were antagonistic to the Shinsengumi, they all decided that it was time to get rid of him once and for all.

At least Saito had returned to them, but the question about Heisuke's stance still remained. Last the Shinsengumi have heard about him, he was serving under Itou. Despite their past with Heisuke, if he attacked the Shinsengumi they would undoubtedly kill him. The day that they planned to kill Itou, Hijikata ordered Souji to remain at headquarters, which of course pissed Souji off, but there was nothing he could do in his condition. To get him all alone, Kondo and Hijikata invited Itou so they could personally hand over their payment while Saito used that opportunity to try to convince Heisuke to return to the Shinsengumi. Soon, on Itou's way back, the Shinsengumi assassinated him, but they were outnumbered by the Satsuma and Choushuu clans. The Satsuma clan had turned their heads away from the Bakufu and instead, they were working with the Choushuus, and they together formed the Sacho Alliance. Luckily, Saito managed to talk some sense into Heisuke as both men helped the rest of their comrades fight of the Sachos. However, Amagiri and Shiranui made an appearance, and Amagiri injured Heisuke so severely that he had met the brink of death. The whole event later would be known as Abura-Kouji Incident. A month later, the Sacho Alliance moved soldiers into Kyoto, which made the Shinsengumi move again into the Fushimi Office and began preparing for war...

As a result of his injuries, Heisuke decided to take the Water of Life and become a fury. It did not thrill everyone, but they were glad he survived and came back to them. Souji studied Heisuke's routines continuously. He was always practically unconscious during daylight and once, he was almost consumed by a bloodlust. Luckily, when Doctor Matsumoto came to visit the Shinsengumi, he had developed a special kind of medicine that could repress the vampiric impulses temporarily. Still, according to Sannan-san, a fury would still continue to suffer until they drink blood. 'So that's the pathetic life of a fury...', Souji noted, but then again, the Water of Life had saved Heisuke's life. _'Some day yours as well_...', a voice inside Souji hissed out. He shook his head in denial. He knew what would happen to him if he drank the scarlet content, he would go insane at the end and become worse than useless to Kondo. His existence would become meaningless and worthless. But still, it could save him from his wretched illness...

On a cold January night, once again Souji woke up to the sounds of clashing swords and horrible screeches. It had seemed that some the furies from the Rasetsu Unit had gone wild. Souji waited for someone to report to him in his room, but crucial minutes were passing. Souji hurriedly threw his clothes on, there was no way he would stay in his room again while all the fighting took place. Just as he had strapped his swords to his waist, Chizuru opened door urgently and rushed inside.

"Okita-san!", she called then her eyes widened when she spotted him. Souji looked up at her with his usual grin.

"You took too long. Nobody came to get me, so I figured I'd go out on my own", he explained to her casually, but she still looked at him worryingly.

"Are you feeling better?!", she asked frantically. His eyes narrowed at her, obviously pissed that she was bringing up his disease at a time like this. Plus, he did not want to admit to anyone that he could not fight, he was way too stubborn to do that.

"I wasn't real happy about being told to stay in my room before, but it looks like I'll get to have some fun after all-", he did not get to finish his sentence when he was suddenly interrupted by tearing coughs. Blood leaked out from his mouth as he continued to cough and crouched onto the floor. Chizuru immediately ran to his side.

"Please, don't do this", her voice was soft and shaky, like she was trying to suppress a sob.

"The rest of the Shinsengumi has the situation under control! Please, go back to bed-", she desperately pleaded as she tugged his arm, but that was when Souji snapped.

"SHUT UP!", he whipped his body around, forcing Chizuru to let go of him. His emerald eyes turned hard as they glared at her, his voice boomed loud enough to where he could feel the power of it shudder through every bone in his body. It had seemed Chizuru had shrunk in size from under his towering stance as tears started to form in her eyes. He would not tolerate her sympathy now of all times.

"IT'S NOT LIKE I'VE BECOME WEAKER! I... I CAN STILL FIGHT!", he continued to yell at her furiously. What was he doing? Yelling at her would not make him any better, much less, it would not give him the strength to fight. He stood back silently, feeling half-guilty for exploding his rage at her.

"I'm not useless yet, you know", Souji's glare remained, but he lowered his voice. Tears looked like they were about to stream out from her eyes as she looked at him sadly.

"It's not nice to brush aside someone who's worried about you", a soft voice broke through their silence. Out of the darkest corner of the room, a boy emerged from the shadows. Had he been there the whole time without Souji or Chizuru noticing him? Both of them spun their heads around and their eyes went wide when they finally recognized the boy.

"K-Kaoru-san?!", Chizuru asked, obviously surprised to him here. It was quite clear now that Nagumo Kaoru, the woman that Souji had saved, was a male, judging by his hair being cut just above his soldiers. His kimono was replaced by western-styled clothing and a short black cloak that were meant only for battle. The only thing that had remained the same was his face that looked all too similar to Chizuru's.

"This is my true self. I apologize for lying about my sex, but I had a good reason to", Kaoru explained politely.

"So, you're a guy, huh. Interesting...", Souji blurted out loud. He was not at all surprised, but neither had he cared that much. After all, Kaoru had acted way too nicely towards Souji when he was trying to impersonate a girl.

"Wait...what do you mean?", Chizuru was actually curious about Kaoru's secret. Kaoru turned towards her and gave her an odd smile.

"I kept my true self hidden for only one reason- the _same _reason I've come here tonight. I'm here to save my sister", Kaoru answered.

"...Sister?", Chizuru questioned. How could she not see the answer that stood directly in front of her? Now Souji could put together the pieces of the mysterious puzzle.

"I'm talking about you, Chizuru", he stated warmly.

"...What?!", Chizuru was still in shock. It was clear to Souji that the two were siblings, actually, more like twins, they did share the exact same face. Kaoru sighed and gazed at Chizuru sadly.

"I realize this is rather confusing to you. Let me explain. When our family refused to help overthrow the shogunate and was destroyed, you were taken in by Kodou, and I was taken in by the Nagumo family from the Tosa Domain. We were...separated", Kaoru went on to explain.

"Our family?", Chizuru's voice weakened in disbelief. So Chizuru was not the daughter of a man she believed to be her father, and her real parents were long dead.

"I share your face, and yet you still won't believe me? ...Perhaps my sword will convince you, then", he stated as he lifted his sheathed blade.

"My Daitsuren is the companion of your own Shotsuren. They were separated along with us...", he explained further. The two swords were identical, just like the twins, the only difference was the length.

"No! My father never said-!", she started to deny the plainly obvious truth. Souji had listened quietly while he regained his composure.

"So you're an oni too?", Souji intervened. Kaoru turned towards him.

"Yes, I am. You seem awfully calm, Okita-san", Kaoru had been observing Souji. Souji grinned sarcastically.

"Should I be excited? None of this is really my problem", Souji stated bluntly. He did not lie. It really was none of his business to get involved in Chizuru's oni affairs.

"Can I ask you something, though? Seeing as you're an oni. Do you just plan to use her, like Kazama does?", he calmly asked Kaoru, but the aura in the room tensed. He would be damned if he let Kaoru take advantage of Chizuru right in front of him.

"What?!", Chizuru was immediately on high alert. Kaoru simply smiled at him.

"...No, that's not my intent. Can I ask you a question in return? What would you have done if I'd said yes? Would you have tried to stop me, with that broken body?", Kaoru asked slyly. The room fell silent, but Souji could feel a vein pop out on his face, luckily for him it was hidden behind his hair. He looked at Kaoru for a brief moment before he answered.

"...No. You're free to take her. I don't care what either of you are up to", Souji's voice had not changed, but his message was cold. He was done with dealing with Chizuru's sympathy that he had not asked for. Her feelings were probably shaped from pity, that idea angered Souji. The only thing he should focus on was Kondo, after all there was nothing else he could have done for Chizuru. He could not protect her, and he certainly could not help her look for Kodou.

"I see...", Kaoru said.

"Now, will you get out of my way?", he rudely asked Kaoru, while finally remembering that the furies were still outside. Kaoru's smile faded.

"No, I will not. You can't fight anyone right now", Koaru did not budge from his spot. Souji's previous anger returned to him.

"Like hell I can't!", he snarled while drawing his sword. Kaoru did not move, but his eyes were illuminated by some sort of dark emotion.

"You're awfully determined, aren't you? Very well... Here", Kaoru reached for something inside his shirt and pulled it out. The small vile he held out was illuminated by the seeping moonlight, while the liquid inside shined a bright red. Both Souji and Chizuru recognized the liquid all too well.

"Where did you get that, Kaoru?!", Chizuru demanded nervously.

"Kodou-san gave it to me", Kaoru answered.

"My father gave you that?", her voice was starting to shake again.

"This is...", Souji's eyes widened at the vile.

"I have been told to cooperate with Kazama and his men because of the relationship between the Satsuma, Choushuu, and Tosa", Kaoru explained while his eyes drifted towards the floor and narrowed.

"But...if their plan is to simply use my dear sister as some sort of demonic broodmare... I can't allow that to happen", Kaoru stated. Now Souji understood why Kaoru had offered him the Water of Life.

"...So you want me to drink the Water of Life and protect her. Is that it? Seems pretty selfish", Souji shot back.

"I'm sorry if it seems that way, but the choice is yours. You can lie in bed, cursing your illness and crying for battle, or you can drink this, and become a fury", Kaoru offered.

"No, Okita-san! You can't!" Chizuru tried desperately to intervene.

"I..", Souji started to say, but he was still hesitant about his decision as his eyes glued onto the vile.

"Please, Kaoru-san, don't do this! If you're really my brother, and you really care for me, then why are you doing this to Okita-san?!", Chizuru pleaded. But before he could answer, the door was kicked down and four figures leapt through.

"Furies!", Souji snarled out loud. Without a moment's hesitation he reached for his sword again when he saw their piercing red eyes. However, his hands fumbled weakly on the hilt and the sword clattered to the floor. Souji's eyes flew open in disbelief, before a sad smile formed on his face.

"This...is all I am now... Okita Souji, the captain of the Shinsengumi's First division...", he mumbled out slowly. His face darkened in the darkness of the room, as he finally came to terms with his tuberculosis. His body was finished, for all he knew, he could drop dead at any given time. Whether or not he had liked his fate, he accepted that he was now destroyed, and he also accepted the cruelty of that. Suddenly, without a second thought, he snatched the vile from Kaoru's hand.

"Okita, no! If you drink that-!", Chizuru started to reach towards him. Time all of the sudden seemed to slow down. Souji glared at the approaching furies, observing them. He was taking in the monster he was going to become. He looked back at Chizuru and gave her his usual, small sideways smile. He saw her slowly running towards him...

"Man, you really never shut up, do you?...", he questioned softly, letting his words hang out in the air. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, while draining the vile of its scarlet content. Kaoru smiled. Then, more furies stepped into the room, thirsty for blood.

His body became alive instantly as the Water of Life rushed through his veins. Blood splattered in every direction as Souji sliced through the pitiable monsters. He cried in pain as felt the vigorous lust for blood surge through him. He had once been close to starvation before in the past, but it was nothing compared to the agony he was experiencing now.

This was Okita Souji, the fury. The beast. Born anew with the curse of the fury. He had given up his humanity in exchange for the chance to fight again. He had traded away his soul.

The carnage only lasted seconds, but it had seemed like a never-ending cycle of bloodshed. All of what had remained was the lifeless, bloody corpses of the furies. Souji crouched on the floor while still holding onto his sword. The furies' blood had stained his entire body. His ghastly white hair was illuminated into a silver glow by the moonlight. His glowering eyes were red with rage as he glared at Kaoru.

"Happy now, Nagumo Kaoru?", he spat out. Kaoru's smile had never faded.

"Yes I am. You were splendid, Okita Souji-san. There are no words to express my gratitude", Kaoru clapped a few times. Then a cruel smile split his face.

"...For falling into my trap", Kaoru's voice lowered to have a menacing edge. Souji's eyes widened in shock before narrowing down to hatred. Before he could consider killing Kaoru, pain reemerged throughout his body. Despite the Water of Life, the battle had drained him. His eyes rolled back as he began to fall forwards, but Chizuru caught him just in time. He could not open his eyes as he was slowly drifting into a state of unconsciousness.

"Okita-san! Are you okay?! Why did...?", Chizuru sobbed out, letting her tears fall out and land on Souji's face. Those were the last words he could hear before the world turned silent to him. He could feel himself transforming back to his original form. Then suddenly, the world around him started to disappear, and then he blacked out completely into the darkest depths of a comatose...

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**Whew! Longest chapter ever in the story! I was highly anticipating to write this chapter so I just had to write it at 1 in the morning(so sorry, if I have made any mistakes)! I hope this chapter was thrilling to you guys. Please comment and review to tell me what you guys think, I'd really appreciate it! Also, keep posting any ideas for extra scenes in the future, and I might incorporate them into the story the best that I can. Anyway, the next chapter will probably be posted the earliest by Wednesday, if not, Friday or Saturday at the latest (so please be patient). As always, have an awesome day!**


	13. Chapter 13

**So...? What do you guys think of the story so far? I'm sorry this chapter took awhile to post (besides my busy schedule, the sever has been having tech problems). Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to Heihachifangirl17 for posting her idea (I'll try to make it fit in with the story, so it might not be 100% accurate), also she's made pretty sweet reviews (you can read them at the "reviews" page for this story). I'm happy that more of you guys are following the story, so I'll try to keep the story interesting! As always, enjoy! **

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Chapter 13: The Seeds of Destruction

Hollowness. That was the only thing Souji could feel as he woke up for the first time. His mind was empty and he was completely unaware of where he was. He sat up in bed and gazed around the room, hoping to find anything that could spark his memory. The room was mysteriously dark and foreign to him. 'This isn't my room...', he noted as he did not recognize any of his personal belongings, until his eyes drifted to his swords that were laying next to him. He grabbed his Daitsuren and held it out in front of him. He began to unsheathe his sword at eye-level, then he finally saw his own mirror-image reflecting from the blade. That was when he remembered. A mindless mad-man ruthlessly cutting down the other monsters by becoming a monster himself. Souji focused on the man's eyes. They were his, but at the same time they were not. Nothing was changed, everything was changed by drinking the Water of Life. Souji's goal had remained unscathed, but something was clearly different.

He could hear distant footsteps heading towards his door, so Souji sheathed his sword and placed it back to his original spot before the footsteps entered. Yamazaki slid open the door with Chizuru right behind him.

"You're awake. How do you feel?", Yamazaki asked him seriously as both figures entered the room.

"Fine actually", Souji grinned at them. Had he been fine? Souji did not know the answer to that himself. Chizuru sat next to him as she placed a cup of water and some of Hijikata's medicine beside him.

"I've brought you some medicine, just in case you're still sore", she smiled warmly at him, but sadness was clearly written in her eyes.

"Ah... Thanks", Souji replied solemnly while avoiding her stare. He was not sure how he was going to confront Chizuru yet about the night with Kaoru and his own new fury nature. Yamazaki sat in front of Souji then turned towards Chizuru.

"Yukimura-kun, ask Inoue-san to accompany you to the city to buy some herbs and prescription drugs before the sun sets, we might need them later", Yamazaki instructed Chizuru.

"Okay", she nodded and left the room quietly. After a moment of silence Yamazaki finally turned to Souji.

"Aren't you going to ask me anything?", Yamazaki directed at Souji.

"Yeah, sure. How long was I asleep?", Souji asked casually, completely unamused by the direction the conversation was heading.

"You were unconscious for two consecutive days, I am actually surprised you woke up this early in the evening. Everyone was starting get worried, so I had to lie and tell them that you had a high fever", Yamazaki stated. Souji's eyes narrowed.

"So you know...", Souji noted. Yamazaki returned the same glare.

"Of course I know, and so do the other captains as well as Kondo-san", Yamazaki shot back. It made sense that everyone found out about Souji's transformation, after all, they were all fighting against the furies that same night.

"...They just don't know why you did it, but I do", Yamazaki added. Souji's glare deepened while he flashed a wicked smile.

"Is that so...", was all he said. Did Chizuru tell Yamazaki about his tuberculosis? No, she could not have done so. Souji told her he would kill her if she did. However, she also promised him that she would not tell anyone, and she meant it.

"You have contracted a sort of disease. I know I'm not wrong because I am the medic here, so I know the signs. I may not know what it is you have specifically, but you can't hide it from me forever", Yamazaki went on.

"So what do you intend to do? Rat me out?", Souji remained calm.

"No. I won't pry into your personal issues, but you need to take better care of yourself", Yamazaki's eyes went stoic, then he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Don't strain yourself too much, you may be a fury, but you still have to get some rest" Yamazaki instructed as he stepped out from the room.

The evening had passed, and Souji was still wide awake. Of course, he was now a fury, dusk became morning as dawn turned to sunset. Bored out of his mind, Souji finally left his room and strolled through headquarters. Everything that was supposed to be motionless was now full of energy through Souji's new perspective. He finally ended up by the courtyard and stopped when he saw Hijikata, Saito, and Heisuke conversing with each other. By the way things looked, Souji would think that they were arguing about something important. Souji approached them and that's when he noticed that all three of them were surrounding an injured Inoue, who was sitting on a nearby bench.

"What happened here?", Souji interjected through their conversation. All of them whipped their heads around towards Souji in shock.

"Are you okay?!", Heisuke asked frantically.

"Never mind me, what happened?", Souji insisted with his earlier question, immediately shutting Heisuke up. Hijikata's gaze was hard and stern as usual as he looked directly at Souji.

"Inoue was beaten by someone unknown on his way home...and he collapsed unconsciously for a moment...", Hijikata started to explain.

"...When I woke up, Chizuru wasn't with me anymore. So I rushed back here to report the situation...", Inoue continued to explain. Panic, desperation, and anger welled up inside of Souji.

"Where the hell is she then?! What the fuck happened to her?!", Souji's voice gradually grew louder. Hijikata then turned towards the other men.

"Saito, go grab Yamazaki and have him tend to Gen-san, stay here just in case anyone shows up!", Hijikata ordered.

"Understood", Saito agreed quietly before grabbing Inoue and leading him inside.

"Heisuke, go tell Sannan-san about this and take the Rasetsus with you and search the city, make sure you don't cause any suspicion!", Hijikata commanded, which Heisuke nodded and ran off.

"Souji, go back to your room-", Hijikata was starting to direct but Souji cut him off fiercely.

"There's no way in hell I'll do that! I'm not going to sit on my ass while Chizuru's in danger!", Souji yelled back, not realizing he was showing concern for Chizuru. Hijikata furrowed his brows, but he nodded.

"Very well, then start searching beyond the Northern gate, I'll rally the other men and take the Southern gate!", Hijikata accepted Souji's help before running away towards the opposite direction.

Souji took off sprinting, and eventually reached the Northern gate, but there was still no sign of Chizuru. He cursed to himself as he frantically searched for her. He ran past a small dark forest. Luckily, his new fury blood sang in night, making him more faster than usual and it was easier to see in the blinding darkness. Finally, he reached a small clearing. The moon's silver veil cast a silver glow on everything, and it illuminated the sukura tree in the middle into a bright rosy-white complexion. Normally, Souji would have been awe-struck by the beautiful scenery, but his gaze glowered when he noticed those distinct crimson eyes and golden hair. Souji stepped out from the woods and headed towards the oni. His eyes widened when he noticed a tattered Chizuru standing beside the foul-oni. What had he done to her...? Souji's blood boiled in fury, as he thought about all the negative possibilities, then he pulled out his sword and charged forward. Kazama dodged calmly at the last second as he finally felt Souji's presence. An evil smirk stretched across his face.

"It's been some time, Okita Souji", Kazama regarded Souji.

"I was beginning to think I'd never see you again, Kazama", Souji smiled sarcastically, purposefully leaving out the oni's first name. Kazama chuckled.

"You shouldn't be glad, you should be cowering in fear for your life... I never expected to be challenged to a fight by some idiotic human, but I suppose a dog can only follow its nose", Kazama retorted.

"That's enough!", Chizuru stepped in between the two men. Kazama laughed in amusement before his gaze hardened at Chizuru.

"Why do you step in front of this man who will only betray you in the end?", Kazama questioned. Before Chizuru could respond Souji pulled her back and lunged towards Kazama, all while letting his fury blood take over him. Kazama drew his sword quickly and blocked Souji's blow, his wicked smile returned.

"Oh, this is rich! I never would've guessed a _lowly_ human like you would lower himself into an abomination. Don't tell me you became a fake oni just so you could _hope_ to defeat me", Kazama began to laugh again. Both men jumped back away from each other.

"Don't flatter yourself", Souji teased coldly, then Kazama launched himself at him.

"Then what was the reason? Some pathetic excuse for pride? Whatever it is that you call 'honor'?", Kazama kept swinging his sword, pushing Souji back a little. A treacherous lust for blood emereged in Kazama's bloody eyes. Souji stayed silent as he focused on dodging and blocking every blow.

"Answer me, human! What could possibly be important to something as worthless and base a creature as you?!", Kazama became a horrific brute. Their swords rang through the night, causing sparks to fly around.

"What's it to you?", Souji scowled at Kazama. Kazama's laughter grew louder as he tilted his back.

"Nothing at all. It just baffles me how ignorant you humans can be. How foolish of me, to think you had _any_ pride! The mere _chance_ of victory is enough reason to turn yourself into an abomination? Pathetic", Kazama blurted out. Souji just grinned.

"Say what you want, I don't care. I don't expect anyone, especially you, to understand my reasons", Souji responded playfully with an angry edge, which made Kazama more hysterical.

"Ah ha ha ha ha! So you'll throw your life away for your worthless _reasons_?! Wonderful!", Kazama's eyes flared like sparks as his mouth cruelly smiled. Oh how Souji despised him so much... Souji's attacks became faster and he started to push Kazama back, but Kazama still deflected them with ease.

"That sword you carry no longer has any meaning! Today's world has no place for that samurai nonsense about pride and honor!", Kazama's gaze turned sharp like blades as he glared at Souji.

"Shut up!", Souji struck again, this time with hatred behind his swing. No one could ever understand his loyalties to Kondo, not even Kondo himself or Hijikata, who had been an important part of Souji's miserable life. He hated how Kazama could just talk shit about his reasons without comprehending them. Their battle had felt like hours were passing by instead of just minutes. Despite the clearness of the night, anyone could have sworn a thunderstorm was approaching by their clashing blades.

"Please! Stop!", Chizuru cried out from behind, but both men continued to brawl.

"Excellent! I was worried I might not enjoy myself, but it seems you'll provide enough of a challenge after all! No more babying you, then! Are you ready to die, you worthless-", but before Kazama had finished Amagiri stepped in from nowhere.

"Stop", his deep voice commanded.

"What are you doing here? Have you come to spoil my fun?", Kazama scowled at him.

"The Satsuma Domain requires yours presence. We must go", Amagiri stated.

"Mere _humans _dare to order _me_ around? If they want me, they may come get me", Kazama spat out venomously but it did not faze Amagiri.

"...Be that as it may, you should return. We can ill-afford a dispute with the Satsuma Domain now. You know that as well as I", Amagiri said calmly, but with a stern expression.

"Chh. Damn them...", Kazama grumbled angrily before he slammed his sword into its scabbard. His scorching eyes traveled back to Souji's intense ones.

"It seems that I don't have to put you down right now. I'll leave my wife in your hands for now", Kazama's smile was cruel.

"I'm sure you'll be utterly useless either way, but... Do try your best to keep her alive. Some day soon I'll be back for her, so until then, dog", and with that Kazama and Amagiri were gone. Keep her alive from what? Souji gritted his teeth.

"Hey! Come back here!", Souji shouted for them, but his cries faded along with the cool breeze that carried the sakura petals. After a silent moment, Souji returned back to his original form, feeling all of the sudden fatigued. It was a feeling that he knew all too well. 'No... It's supposed to be gone...', Souji thought to himself in disbelief.

"Okita-san...", Chizuru mumbled, cutting Souji away from his mind. Souji turned around with inhuman speed and pinned Chizuru to tree, taking her by surprise. Souji's gaze was harder than before.

"What did he do to you?", he demanded venomously while bringing his face close to hers. Chizuru looked back at him with an expression made out of shock and confusion.

"What do you mean-?", she started to ask, but Souji cut her off.

" '_What do you mean?!' _I'm talking about all the blood on your clothes! Did Kazama do this?!", he started to tug on her disheveled sleeves to prove his point.

"N-No, he didn't... He didn't do anything to me", Chizuru answered quietly.

"You must be joking, right?", Souji tried to force a grin. How could Kazama not take advantage of her? It was the perfect time for him to do so if he had wanted to.

"No, I'm not", Chizuru answered with more confidence. Souji's grin faded.

"Then _what_ happened?", Souji looked directly at her eyes, prying her to answer him.

"When me and Inoue-san were alone on our way home, several furies sneaked behind us and ambushed us. They were about to kill Inoue-san when I tried hitting them with my sword, but...they easily stopped me and started cutting me...", Chizuru's voice weakened as she explained her story. Souji let go of his hold on her and stepped back.

"Then what about Kazama?", Souji folded his arms as he asked her more calmly.

"He actually stepped in on time and killed the furies... Then the next thing I knew, I was sitting under this tree and woke up to him watching over me", Chizuru explained.

"Are you still sure he didn't do anything to you?", Souji asked with concern in his voice. He still doubted Kazama's innocence. Chizuru nodded in response. Then, Souji realized something.

"What about the furies? Were they _our _furies that attacked you?", Souji was on high alert. Chizuru's eyes widened.

"Yes! But I'm not quite sure how they got out... We were still pretty far away from headquarters when they found us", Chizuru recalled. Souji furrowed his brows. If the Rasetsu have broken out, everyone would have been alerted immediately before the furies could reach that far out of bounds. But why didn't anyone notice? It was then that Souji concluded that someone had purposely let them out...

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**It was a shorter chapter, but I hope that I was still able to make it dark and mysterious for you guys! Like I've said before, it will be hard for me to post future chapters soon (even though I give in to temptation and lose hours of sleep to write these). I can't really determine when the next chapter will be released, so stay tuned. Also, I really like writing chapters based off from your ideas, so you can still post them if you still want to, I plan to use more of them in the future. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter (please review and tell me what you think)! As always, have an awesome day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys, how's your week been? Things are about to get more serious in the story, in terms of conflict within the Shinsengumi. Hopefully, you'll also get a better understanding of Souji's character in this chapter as well. I won't spoil anything else (plus I don't have anything else to say), so here's today's chapter. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 14: Light's Shadow

Souji did not want to ask further what Kazama was doing with Chizuru. He did not want to know. As long as Chizuru was fine, then it did not matter. Souji's battle with Kazama was pointless. Even though Kazama was still working for the Satsuma clan, he really never had any reason to fight the Shinsengumi. Of course, Chizuru was a different issue. Kazama's pursuit for her had nothing to do with the Shinsengumi's business. So why were they still protecting her? Even that question did not bother Souji. If Kondo ordered him to guard her, Souji would never question it, just like any other order to kill. It was an ironic duty for him, though. The only thing Souji had known to do was kill, and only to kill. Protecting anything was not exactly his forte. In fact, it was more so true now that he had become a fury. Who knows when he will eventually go mad and start mindlessly killing others? Souji realized the impracticality of him watching over Chizuru. He did not want to put her in any more danger than she was already. After all, Souji remembered Kazama's words to him, '..._I never would've guessed a lowly human like you would lower himself into an abomination...'_. He was an abomination, a failed experiment to reach perfect strength, a monster, a fury...

The next evening was tense. Souji had to tell Kondo and Hijikata about the Rasetsu that attacked Inoue and Chizuru. After that, everyone was on high alert with each other. Although, people could already suspect who was responsible for last night's incident. The Water of Life had not cured Sannan-san's almost overwhelming insanity. He became obsessed with the Water of Life, claiming that he was improving it. However, Sen and Kimigiku had reported several cases of the Rasetsu's killing innocent civilians during the night patrol. It was now clear that Sannan-san had a role in all of the chaos. The worst part about it was that the Shinsengumi was dealing with all this inner conflict when they were about to go to war.

After Souji ate breakfast, technically dinner considering his meals are reversed now, he stepped outside and gazed at the night sky. It was his daylight now. A quiet and lonely daylight. He missed laying out in the sun, letting the sun's rays warm his skin. It was all gone. The only thing he had now was the dark's cold embrace. A large hand patted his shoulder, almost startling Souji, but he immediately relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Hey, now! What are you doing out here, Souji?", Kondo asked warmly. Souji smiled.

"Nothing really, I was just tryin' to kill time", Souji responded, his grin never faded. Kondo's eyes widened for a moment.

"Ah! You're absolutely frozen!", he exclaimed, then he took off his own overcoat and placed it over Souji's shoulders.

"Really, I'm fine", Souji tried to insist lightly.

"I won't hear it!", Kondo rebutted. Souji just chuckled at him as he surrendered to Kondo's kindness. Souji could feel the distinguishing warmth of the coat seep through him.

"This has your smell on it", Souji noted warmly. He loved the scent. It was as warm as Kondo's heart. It reminded him of an August day, hot but with a small gentle breeze. It was perfect.

"Huh? D-Does it stink?", Kondo asked, slightly embarrassed as he took in the fabric's scent for any sign of foul odor. Souji just laughed at Kondo's unwittingness.

"What's so funny, Souji?", Kondo still did not understand what Souji had meant.

"Oh, nothing really. I just love that about you, Kondo-san", Souji snickered lightly while relishing the moment. Kondo just gave him a puzzled look.

"Love what? My stench?", Kondo asked, missing the point once again, which made Souji laugh more. It was moments like these with Kondo that Souji cherished the most. He loved and idolized the man like an older brother. Souji knew what it was like to have siblings, he did have two older sisters somewhere. However, Kondo's love and caring attitude towards Souji was strong, and it was what had saved Souji from the depths of despair a long time ago. For that, Souji was eternally grateful to him. Kondo was his world, his light. However, the brightest lights cast the darkest of shadows. Sadly, that was what Souji had been exactly.

"Kondo-san, you should get some rest, you'll be leaving early tomorrow morning", Hijikata approached them. His tone towards Kondo was different than it could ever be towards anyone else. He loved and respected Kondo with equal intensity to Souji's. However, Hijikata was not a shadow, despite his terrifying reputation. He was another source of light that burned just as brightly as Kondo's. They both shared the same dream and passion, they were inseparable, and that was what made Souji jealous of Hijikata. Souji was only a sword, he could never hope to have his own dreams. Neither had he wanted them anyway, there was no point to them. He was satisfied as long as he could kill for Kondo. It was his purpose, the only thing he had known. What saddened him was that Kondo viewed him as a virtuous man who could fight for his own dream, but Souji could never be like Kondo or Hijikata. So he had to force a smile and pretend, he could not hurt Kondo with the truth. Souji had accepted to become a sword, and now a fury, for the sake of what was important to him, and he had done so with a smile on his face...

"Yeah", Kondo turned to Hijikata and smiled.

"Don't overwork yourself, you hear me? I don't want to see you bedridden because you strained yourself ", Kondo patted Souji's shoulder once more before turning away to follow Hijikata back inside. He suddenly stopped and looked back at Souji.

"I'm glad your okay...Take care of yourself, I know you'll be fine while I'm gone", Kondo smiled one more time before disappearing inside. He did not know it at the time, but that would be the last time he would see or speak to Souji...

"Of course", Souji lied with a sad smile on his face to the empty sky...

With nothing else to do, Souji leisurely sat outside on the porch and began to read though Hijikata's Haiku book that he had stolen. Honestly, the oni lieutenant wrote the worst pile of words, it was not good enough to be considered literature. As Souji giddily read through, his eyes finally perked up when a figure walked towards him. It was Chizuru. She finally reached him with a cup of tea in her hand. Souji lifted a brow.

"Why are you still up this late?", Souji asked in a plain voice while closing the Haiku book and tucking it inside of his shirt. Chizuru gave him a small smile.

"I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd better spend my time bringing you tea", she replied softly, her voice was slightly strained. Souji noticed the dark circles under her eyelids, and her skin had paled to an unhealthy color. Souji sighed and reached up for the tea. After a moment, both of them said nothing. Souji hated their awkward silence.

"Chizuru-chan, is there a reason why you're still-?", he was going to ask her if she had anything else to do with him, but she interrupted him.

"How are you feeling, Okita-san?", she asked quietly. Souji gave her a strange look, as if that were the most obvious question he had heard.

"I'm fine, I guess-", he started to retort but she cut him off again.

"No... I mean about your...your illness?", she clarified. Souji studied her eyes. If he told her the truth, he was sure that she would start crying. He could not do that to her.

"I'm all better! It's gone now, so you don't have to worry", he lied to her with that same sideways smile that hid so much from the world... He did not want to receive anymore of her sympathy.

"I'm glad...", her eyes softened and she smiled back at him, but the expression faded quickly.

"We need to talk", he solemnly stated while looking down at his cup. He waited for Chizuru to say or do something, but she remained still.

"C'mon", he patted the floor next to him on the staircase encouraging her to sit there.

"Okay...", she complied quietly. She took a seat as far away from him as she could. Souji lifted his brow again.

"Why are you sitting so far away?", he asked her blatantly. Chizuru's eyes flew open in shock.

"Eh...But-", she began to come up with an excuse but Souji cut her off.

"It upsets me that you're sitting so far away from away me, like I'm contagious or something", his playful tone started to emerge again. If he was going to have a serious discussion, he figured he should wash off the tense air first.

"N-No, It's not like that!", she started to protest while moving closer next to him. However, she accidently overexerted herself passed her intended target, and her face ended being just inches away from Souji's. Her eyes widened and her cheeks started to flush pink with embarrassment.

"Ah...", she started to blurt out awkwardly. Souji gave her a small smile.

"Could it be that you were tryin' to avoid me?", he meant to tease her, but she took it more seriously.

"No... I just didn't know what to say...after all that's happened recently...", she looked down at her feet. Souji turned his eyes up to the dark blue sky.

"What happened after I blacked out? You know, with Kaoru?", he kept his tone light. He was wondering what had happened with that demented kid. He could barely remember his slick words, '_...For falling into my trap_'. Chizuru's gaze had not shifted.

"...It was his plan,...to turn you into a fury. He tricked you into drinking the Water of Life because...", she paused to swallow down a sob.

"...Because he wanted to see me suffer", she finally got out. _Why? _How would it make her suffer? Then he understood. Kaoru foolishly thought that the two of them were close, but... He did succeed in making her suffer. So the question was, why did she care for Souji? Souji could not understand it, but he knew she felt guilty. He knew that she thought it was her own fault that had cursed him. He did not want to pry in any further about Kaoru. He did not know why Kaoru hated his own twin sister, but it did not concern him.

"Listen,...don't blame yourself for what happened to me. It's _not_ your fault. After all, it was _my_ decision. I was the one who drank the Water of Life. You had nothing to do with it", his voice was light, but his words cut like daggers. He was right though. He drank the Water of Life to be able to fight again, Chizuru just so happened to be saved by him. Both of them sat there silently without looking at each other.

"Hey...", he started. He turned towards Chizuru with a serious stare. Her eyes tried to read his expression.

"You shouldn't get involved with a guy like me", his voice lost any trace of playfulness. He had said those similar words to her before, only this time, he was sure about it. He did not want to get involved with her if all he would be was a danger, or worse, driftwood. Chizuru's eyes lit up in shock.

"...What?", she began to question. The expression on Souji's face did not change.

"I won't be much help to you if I can't look for your father. I'm not just a fury; I'm dead. Nothing alive in here anymore", he continued. He was dead even before he had lost his humanity. Purposefully, he had left out the part about his returning illness. No, it was always there within him. It had never vanished.

"I'm no use to you anymore, right? So, you should...", he wanted to tell her to abandon him before she would waste anymore time and energy on him, but Chizuru's voice broke through his train of thought.

"No!", her voice was stern and sure. Souji blinked in surpise, completely stunned. He was utterly confused.

"Ah... Did I hear that correctly?", he tried to grin for being unsure of what she had meant. Chizuru fisted her hands.

"I said...No!", her voice rose again, as her eyes locked on to Souji's.

"I...I... Your being useful isn't the reason I want you by my side!", she burst out. Souji remained silent, completely stunned by her words. If she was not with him because she looked down on him or felt bad, then why had she been by his side this whole time? She must have realized her forwardness because her face started to flush red in embarrassment again.

"...Be by your side...?", Souji reflected while putting a hand on his chin to analyze. Then a mischievous grin appeared on his face.

"...Hmm", his humor started to return.

"N-No... You see...", she tried to excuse what she had just said while waving her hands in front of her.

"Hmm? Are you saying that's not right?", he teased. He loved how he could always tease her at any given moment. Chizuru looked down again to avoid his gaze.

"I can't abandon you... Not that I really understand it myself...", she tried to put her feelings into words. Souji grinned. The confusing emotions he had felt for her were the exact same ones Chizuru had felt for him. He finally stood up and took a step in front of her.

"You're a strange girl", he smiled as he looked back at her. Their eyes met once again.

"If you insist...then you can do what you like...", he told her softly.

"Yes! I'll do that!", she boasted in return, a smile of relief and joy finally formed on her lips. He smiled once more before turning away and heading towards the shrine to practice with his sword. He was not going to force Chizuru to do anything. If she wanted to stay with him, he would accept it. After all, if the Shinsengumi wanted to protect her, he would have to do his best to comply. The two of them have been through so many things together in just the short time of knowing each other. It would have been sad for both of them if they had fallen apart now. He just hoped that she did not get hurt because of her decision.

Souji let the darkness cloak him in as he descended farther away. The fury inside of him could see the world come alive at night. The noises of the dark were louder than usual. The crickets _triggered_ their legs for their night time song. Fireflies glowed like _sparks _to a_ musket_. Several bats _shot_ through like_ bullets_ in the air for their evening flight. An owl _swooped_ down from hiding and caught its prey, the mouse squeaked in _pain_. Souji stepped on a stray branch, that _banged _while it cracked, like the sound of a _gun_...

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**I hope you caught on to the foreshadowing at the end. I hope you guys liked this chapter, once again I didn't want to overwhelm you all. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes, sorry (I'll edit it tomorrow if I have time). Next chapter, things will get intense again, so be prepared! It will probably be posted on Friday if I'm lucky. Please comment/review, I love reading what you all have to say, and thank you to the users who are following my story! As always, have an awesome day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! I know it's been some time since I've written anything, but this week and next week have been/will be the busiest time for me out of the whole entire year, so I apologize for the wait, but I also thank you guys for being patient and understanding (I love you all!). I'm not sure how long this chapter will be (long most likely), but it'll definitely be filled with intense moments. I apologize in advance if there are any grammar/spelling errors (I don't have the luxurious time to revise), but I'll go back and edit it when I can. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story, and as always, enjoy! (Note: If you haven't noticed, the narrator is biased according to Souji's perspective, so the content may not exactly reflect what the other characters think or feel. So just because the narrator states one thing, it doesn't necessarily make it true. Keep that in mind because you'll see a more biased side of Souji's story in this chapter)**

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Chapter 15: A Coward's Game Part I

Souji groaned when his sleep was disturbed the next day by the sound of men outside his room. It was still to early for him to be awake, plus he needed to get some rest because tonight he would be stepping out of headquarters, for the first time since he became a fury, to join the Rasetsu Unit on the night watch. If he had to guess, the day was well off in the afternoon. He stood up and walked over towards his window to peek outside. Men from the First and Second divisions, led by Shinpachi, were beginning to march out of headquarters. Souji at first thought they were heading off towards the magistrate office, but that could not be right. The Shinsengumi were assigned to guard the magistrate office two days ago, but they should not have made this much movement. So if the men were not going to the magistrate office, then what were they doing? A terrible feeling emerged in Souji's gut. He knew that something bad had happened.

He rushed to put his clothes on, not caring if he looked disheveled. Quickly, he stepped out of his room to find more men gathering at the center of the courtyard. The sun was blinding and it weakened the fury inside of him, but he ignored the slight stinging pain. He hastily barged through some of the men to get to the center. Some recognized him and got out of the way, while Souji had to roughly push past others. Everyone gave him strange looks. Was it because he woke up at the wrong side of the bed? No, it was something entirely different. Their eyes lit up in a sort of fear and pity, which made Souji scowl. Something was terribly, terribly wrong. Finally, he reached the center to see Hijikata, Inoue, Shimada, and Chizuru conversing. They all had dreadful looks on their faces. Souji's scowl did not dissipate when he noticed a trail of blood on the dirt ground.

"...What's going on?", he interjected coldly. Their eyes flew up in surprise when they noticed him, before turning back into grim gazes. Chizuru's face was alarmed and mixed in with worry.

"O-Oh. Shouldn't you be sleeping?", she questioned him. Souji laughed at her attempt to get him distracted from all the commotion.

"With all this noise? Not even I sleep that deep", he tried to lighten up the tense air by squeezing in small joke.

"...Actually, I could ask you the same question", he kept his voice light, but deep within, he started to feel anguished.

"...Huh?", she was caught off guard.

"You're on the night shift, just like me. What're _you_ doing up?", he prayed is was not the same reason as his. Unlike him, Chizuru was not a fury, so she could still function well in broad daylight. He hoped that she had naturally woken up, for whatever the reason, just not for the situation going on now.

"Um, well...", she struggled to answer him and ultimately remained quiet. The horrible feeling in his gut became stronger. Her silence meant that the commotion was enough to wake her up as well. Judging by the sorrowful look on her face, Souji knew that the situation was not only bad, but it was serious.

"So? What happened?", he asked more seriously towards Hijikata. Souji knew Hijikata would answer him directly. With a serious look, Hijikata gazed at him, but with a glint of remorse in his eyes. Souji became on edge, the suspense was tearing him up internally.

"Kondo-san was shot", Hijikata stated bluntly, looking directly at Souji's eyes. His words echoed through Souji's brain.

"What?!", Souji's eyes flew up in shock. For a desperate moment, Souji wanted to believe it was some sort of cruel joke. However, he knew Hijikata well. Hijikata was not the kind of person who would ever joke. Dread, worry, anxiety, desperation, anger, sadness, and all other negative emotions had hit Souji all at once. He had almost lost it, but he was dangerously near the cut-off point.

"And?!" Is it serious?!", he demanded with panic, already his voice was raised. Hijikata averted his gaze now.

"...It didn't just graze him, if that's what you mean", his tone was still serious, but his voice lowered. Souji furrowed his brows. That bastard! How could he say such things so easily? Kondo, the man most precious to Souji and Hijikata, was shot; how could Hijikata speak so calmly about it? Souji was about to snap, to the point where he would let himself be overcome by his emotions and start to violently shake Hijikata, reprimanding him while hollering like a ferocious beast. Inoue must have sensed his agitation and figured out his intent so he put a hand in front of him to prevent him from lashing out.

"Calm down, Souji", Inoue said sternly. With a little more self-control, Souji folded his arms to stop himself from grabbing Hijikata.

"I am calm", he desperately tried to convince everyone else, even himself, but angst was clearly written on his face. He stepped back and inhaled deeply to calm himself. It took a moment, but he managed to compose himself before he looked back at everyone.

"Well?", he tried not to speak too much since he did not want all of his anger to burst out again. Shimada's face was calm, but his hands trembled.

"...He was attacked on the way back from Nijo Castle", Shimada began to explain. Now Souji remembered. That explained why Kondo bid him farewell just last night. He had left for Nijo Castle early in the morning for some war preparation stuff that Souji did not even bother to remember.

"They came out of nowhere", Shimada's eyes drifted to Kondo's still-wet blood on the ground. 'Who came out of nowhere?! Who did this to Kondo-san?! Who?! Who?! Who?!...', Souji's mind was reeling with emotion. The untamed beast that always lingered within Souji was desperate to find those responsible. Desperate to kill.

"Bastards just about shot him off his horse. If he'd fallen off, I don't know if we'd have been able to... Anyway, they had us surrounded by the time we figured what was going on. We broke through, but it was a tough fight", Shimada concluded. A sense of relief washed through Souji. Kondo was alive, but his wound was critical. However, the men who did this to Kondo were still breathing, probably celebrating, which to Souji, was a huge problem. Besides that, another question still bothered Souji. How was Kondo shot in the first place?

"But how were those bastards able to shoot Kondo-san?! Didn't he have men to guard him?!", Souji's anger was starting to rise again, but he tried to keep it at bay. However, his eyes pierced Hijikata's.

"We, along with a member of Shinpachi's divison, were his only escorts", Inoue answered instead with a solemn expression. Any attempt to control Souji's anger diminished.

"You only sent three men with him?! What are you, insane?! You know how dangerous it is out there for him right now!", Souji snarled at Hijikata. How could Hijikata send him out there with only three guards? Hijikata was the Oni Lieutenant for a reason! He could make the impossible happen! So why could he not keep Kondo safe?! The world around them was about to be shattered apart by war! Sending Kondo, an important factor in this upcoming war, out there with only three men was basically a sign for any enemy to attack. Hijikata remained calm and composed, not at all looking threatened by Souji's tough and harsh words.

"Kondo-san was going to Nijo Castle for a war conference, as the Chief of the Shinsengumi. Some of the other people there were shogunate bigwigs. He couldn't show up with a bunch of guards", Hijikata explained, his tone never changed.

"...Some of the higher ups in the government aren't real fond of the Shinsengumi", Shimada added. Souji's jaw clenched almost automatically.

"And they might have gotten the wrong idea, is that what you're saying?", Souji's voice shifted dangerously low while his eyes pinned Hijikata with a nasty glare. Souji could care less about Kondo proving his bravery to the men of higher society, what mattered was that in doing so, Kondo was seriously injured. If it were up to Souji, he would make sure that Kondo was absolutely safe, even if it did cost him his image.

"So it's more important for us to look good than for Kondo-san to not get fucking shot?", Souji did not have to yell to sound menacing. His voice already had a deadly edge to it when he conveyed his message coldly to Hijikata. Hijikata's eyes narrowed in return.

"Didn't say that", Hijikata's tone matched Souji's. They were a keg ready to explode at one another. Chizuru stood back worryingly with anticipation, while Inoue and Shimada stepped in between the two forces to prevent further conflict.

"Souji, this isn't Hijikata's fault. Kondo only wanted to take us for his escort", Inoue defended calmly.

"So if you want to blame someone, we're it. It was our job to protect the chief, and we failed", Shimada almost pleaded. Souji could barely notice them. His glare was trained and focused on Hijikata. He could not blame either Inoue or Shimada, after all, it was Hijikata who called the shots.

"It's hard to protect somebody from a gunshot, Shimada-san. Not your fault. Hijikata-san put Kondo-san's life in danger when he let him go out with only three men", Souji stated blatantly, as if it were fact.

"Besides, I'm finding it a liiiiiiitle hard to believe that was really what Kondo wanted to do", Souji's voice gradually became louder again.

"Maybe someone talked him into it... Someone who's always trying to look good. Someone like...Hijikata-san?", Souji conveyed his inner thoughts out loud with a rude demeanor. Souji could not put the blame on Kondo, he was after all the victim. Blaming him would be futile.

"Souji!", Inoue scolded him, but that did not change his incentive. Hijikata's eyes drifted somewhere else away from Souji's foul glare.

"Kondo-san...", Hijikata started. He sighed before continuing in a composed manner.

"...didn't want to risk leaving the magistrate's office undefended just to cover his own tail. This place represents Yoshinobu's authority in Kyoto. He didn't want to take any chances with it", he explained. Finally, he met Souji's gaze again, this time there was a glint of guilt in his eyes.

"I let him do it. That was my mistake",Hijikata admitted. Souji relaxed his stance slightly, but his expression did not change.

"If he dies, it's your ass in the fire, Hijikata-san", his voice lowered again. He meant every word. He would personally see the deed done if Kondo died. Hijikata did not respond, as if he understood and accepted his possible fate.

Shortly after, Souji returned to his room, hoping he could at least get some sleep before he would have to go on his shift later. However, he was overcome with all of his earlier emotions so he could not possibly fall asleep, despite the sun's effect on him and his tuberculosis. When he was about to leave he asked Yamazaki about Kondo's condition. It had worsened. He developed a fever which consequentially submitted him into a deep coma. Tonight would decide whether he lives or dies. Souji tried to stay calm, but fear constantly haunted him. He would not accept Kondo dying. If he died, then so would Souji's existence, but not before Souji hunted down all of Kondo's enemies, including Hijikata...

Before the sun had set, Shinpachi returned home along with the rest of his men. From what Souji had heard, they did not find any leads on the men who ambushed Kondo, but they did recover the body of the third man who had been guarding Kondo. However, that did not ease Souji the slightest. The culprits were still lingering in this world, which obviously agitated him. It was then that Souji knew what he would do next, what he had always known and done before... Finally, nightfall came. Chizuru stuck to Souji's side when they reached their post. He purposefully composed himself, not wanting her to suspect of his plan. He had to play it calmly, as if nothing had happened. They managed a casual conversation, but eventually it centered upon Kondo.

"Kondo-san's got the worst luck, huh...", Souji's tone was its normal playful vibe, he tried to forcefully joke about the whole dilemma. He grinned at Chizuru, who had an unsure look to her face, but she went along with the conversation.

"...Well, I have heard it's really hard to hit someone with a gun", she added.

"Yeah, you can't hit shit from more than a couple yards away", he further joked. Chizuru did not respond, probably unsure what to make of Souji's attitude. But she did not say anything about it, which meant she at least somewhat bought his act. Over the years of Souji's life, he has developed himself to become the perferct liar. This situation was no exception to his talent. However, he did not want to take his chances with her.

"Oh yeah... I gotta go talk to Heisuke-kun about something. Think you could just wait here?", his tone was so natural that it had led Chizuru to easily believe in his lie.

"...Of course", she nodded.

"Thanks Chizuru-chan. I'm leaving you in charge here, all right?", he graciously thanked her, of course, unknowingly she did not know that she was being thanked for buying his lie. He turned without looking back and walked towards the back of the compound they were at. As soon as he knew that he was out of her sight, he ran.

Stealthily, he left the compound and descended towards the streets of Kyoto. At this late hour, no one was out on streets, much to Souji's advantage. His eyes scanned every alley he passed for any sign of the culprits. Eventually, he reached the outskirts. Still there was no trace of anyone in particular that Souji had in mind. Despite not finding anyone or anything, he could not give up. Just then, as if some higher power granted his wish, several men stepped out from the corner of an alley. By the way they were dressed, Souji could tell they part of the Satsuma clan. They stepped closer towards him and observed him carefully.

"Look what we've got here? If it isn't one of those pretend samurai", one of them tried to provoke.

"What do they call themselves? ...Oh that's right, he must be one those Shinsengumi, after all, he's got that stupid haori to prove it", another man sarcastically mentioned. Normally, the insult would not have bothered Souji, but they found him when he was already in a foul mood. If they insulted the Shinsengumi, then they were also insulting Kondo. Souji grinned at the men maliciously.

"Unfortunately, I'm in no mood to humor you. So I'll get straight to the point. Were you the guys who shot Kondo-san?", his tone was playful but with that same dangerous edge to it. The men looked disappointed, considering that Souji stole their thunder.

"So what if we did? What are you gonna do about it?", one of the men taunted. Souji drew his sword, his smile never faded.

"Well that's easy, I'll just kill you all", Souji stated his threat so casually that it was obviously disturbing. The men suddenly looked alarmed and insulted.

"Idiot! Do you really think you've got a chance of winning against _all_ of us?! I'll wipe that cocky-ass grin off your face!", a man pulled out his sword.

"Care to test that theory out?", Souji taunted back. The man charged up to Souji, but in one swift motion, Souji decapitated him. Blood splattered in all directions. The other men's eyes widened in fear and disbelief.

"Don't tell me that's all you've got? Didn't you say that I had no change of winning against _all_ of you?", Souji retorted with their own words.

"Bastard!", another man yelled while the rest of them drew their swords.

"Kill him!", the man commanded and the men charged towards their own doom. Souji grinned as he easily stained his sword with their blood. The battle only lasted for several seconds, but Souji relished every moment while laughing cynically. He sliced through throats, and livers, and kidneys, and heads, and hearts. The men wailed and moaned in pain as they fell. Some were dead before they had hit the ground. It was a bloodbath. A massacre. Warm red liquid splattered all over Souji, almost driving the fury inside of him mad. However, he convinced himself that their blood was not worth drinking. The view of their tattered, bloody corpses was satisfying enough. Yes, this is what Souji lived for! It was his destiny, his calling! He was brought into this world for one reason: to kill for Kondo. One of the men stood away from Souji cowering on ground in fear and awe. The smile never dissipated from Souji's face. He slowly walked towards the man, like a tiger would to an injured stag. The man tried to move back, but he was trembling too much that he could not bring himself to move. Finally, Souji stood in front him, looking down at him with predatory eyes.

"My, my, what's wrong? I thought you said you were going to wipe off my cocky-ass grin off my face?", Souji mocked softly. The man did nothing.

"Well, what are you waiting for? I'm standing right in front you, completely open... Could it be that you chickened out?", Souji ruthlessly toyed with him. Oh, if anyone could see the look on the man's face! Souji wanted to cry tears of joy! The man had tears of despair in his eyes as he struggled to speak.

"P-Please...I'm begging you... Don't kill me!", the man sobbed out. Souji chuckled. At his response, the man went insane.

"Please, No! Oh Gods! For the love of all that's good! I have a family that needs me!", the man cried out in desperation. The grin on Souji's face disappeared.

"Well in that case, I'll be sure to give them your regards", he stated flatly, then he lifted his sword. He was an instant away from swinging his sword downwards, when a voice stopped him.

"Stop! Okita-san!", Chizuru yelled out of nowhere and placed herself protectively in between Souji and the man. Souji narrowed his eyes at her.

"Move", he commanded coldly. Chizuru furrowed her brows and stood her ground, despite the bead of sweat trailing down her face.

"No!", she persisted while bravely meeting his gaze. Souji's glare intensified.

"I'll kill you if you get in my way", his voice was cold and deadly. He had said those words to her so many times before in the past, but now, he was sure he would actually follow up on his threat. She still refused to move.

"There's more to you than this", her voice was stern, but she was not scolding him. He had heard others say those words to him before in the past, there was no way that would prevent him.

"Why? 'Because it's not what Kondo-san would want from me?' I already know that!", Souji hissed at her.

"No... That's not why at all... It's because I believe- I know you'll do what's right", her eyes pierced Souji's. Souji stood motionless in front of her, completely stunned. He did not understand her. She has seen him at his all-time lows: the Souji who lied, the Souji who thought nothing of himself except as a weapon, the Souji who was a monster, the Souji who killed... Why did she have such high faith in him? Why did she see something in him that he could not? He could not understand her. No one expected Souji to stop killing, not even Kondo after some getting used to. So why did he stop now?

Heisuke ran in shortly after and caught the still-unmoving man from the ground. However, Souji no longer paid any attention to them. His eyes were focused on Chizuru the whole time.

"Why?...Why do you care?", his voice softened, but their was a wistful glint in his eyes. No one, except for Kondo, had ever given a damn about him. He was solitary, and no matter how much he craved attention, he never expected to receive it.

"Because you're important to me", her voice softened as well. Souji expected her to avert her eyes or blush furiously, but she never did. Chizuru looked at him with such seriousness and intensity. For a moment, the two of them said nothing.

"You really are a strange girl...", Souji smiled at her weakly. An expression of joy spread across her face as she breathed out a sigh of relief while small tears welled up in her eyes. The slight rays of sunshine started to illuminate the sky in the east.

"Let's go home", he smiled warmly one last time at her before starting on his trail back home. Chizuru happily followed behind. However, they both never realized the stalking figure that lurked in the shadow's away from the rising daylight. The conflict was just beginning...

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**I wanted to write more along with this chapter, but then I would overdo it, so I ended up splitting this chapter into two parts. So the next update will be: Chapter 16: A Coward's Game Part II. As to when it will be posted, I have no idea. I'm so busy that I end up writing these chapters in the middle of the night. I'll try to write it over the weekend, but there are no guarantees. If not this weekend, then definitely by Friday next week. If there are mistakes in the text, I'll edit it when I have time. Anyways, thank you once again for being so patient, I hope this chapter was enough of a reward. Please review/comment what you thought of this chapter, and as always, have an awesome day!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! I've been so busy recently that I almost had a meltdown. My time here is like as stress reliever, and it's the one thing in my life right now that I can take my time with. Honestly, this story does require time and thought, so thank you for being patient with me. I know I repeat myself a lot, but I really do appreciate your patience (it's a virtue after all). This chapter will pick off from where I had left off before, so this chapter will be intense again (it'll be the last part, so don't worry about it extending into part III). I'm not sure how long this chapter may end up being (shorter this time maybe), but regardless, I'll do my best to portray this chapter well enough. If there are in mistakes, I'll go back and fix the text later; so for now, please bear with me. As always, enjoy!**

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Chapter 16: A Coward's Game Part II

After returning home, no one dared to scold Souji, not even Hijikata. Everyone probably thought that Souji needed space. For once, he was thankful to be alone in his room. He craved sleep while his tuberculosis was catching up with him. He was not sure how he would face everyone, especially Kondo, about his rendezvous with the Satsuma pricks. Hijikata questioned the one survivor from last night, but it had turned out that his band was not responsible for shooting Kondo, even though they were thankful to the culprits who did. Therefore, no one could technically blame Souji for slaughtering them. The day passed quickly while Souji slept. After he woke up, he was informed that Kondo had survived through the night. However, his wounds were still critical so he had to travel to see Doctor Matsumoto. Nevertheless, Souji was glad that Kondo would eventually recover. But still, the men who shot him were still out there somewhere, so Souji could not relax just yet. While Kondo was away, Hijikata would be acting as the leader of the Shinsengumi.

Souji was assigned, along with Chizuru, Heisuke, and Sannan-san, to guard the magistrate office at night. Souji tried to relax himself, he did not want to lose his sanity like he had the night before. When he was at his post with Chizuru, they talked warmly to each other, while Heisuke and Sannan-san stood nearby. Her words to him from last night had a pronounced effect on him. Even if the good that she saw in Souji was an illusion, he still appreciated the idea that he was thought as a good man, despite all of the horrible traits she had witnessed. He had enjoyed her company before, but now, he saw Chizuru with a new sense of respect. She became precious to him, perhaps not as special as Kondo yet, but she was important to him as well, which was something hardly _anyone_ could do. As they stood watch, their conversation drifted towards Kondo.

"Okita-san... How's Kondo-san doing?", Chizuru asked him. If she did not know by now already then she must have slept through the entire day.

"He's gone to visit Doctor Matsumoto in Osaka", Souji answered in a stoic tone.

"Doctor Matsumoto?", she questioned in surprise, to which Souji nodded. Her face shifted into a slightly worried expression.

"Are you worried?", Chizuru asked softly. Souji smiled at her.

"I'm glad he's taking care of it. He's kind of a weird guy, but he's a good doctor", Souji referred to Matsumoto and giggled, which made Chizuru look at him strangely. He thought it was funny for Matsumoto to be strict and overprotective towards his patients -after all, Souji was one of them, so he would know-, but he figured that it was what made Matsumoto a worthy doctor. He was sure that Matsumoto would help Kondo get back to his feet. After a quiet, but relaxing moment, Chizuru spoke up.

"...I hope things'll be peaceful tonight", she wished out loud. Before Souji could elaborate, the thundering sound of a gunshot broke through the still night. It provoked Souji, making his jaw clench in loathing. It had to be the culprits. Who else would have teased the air with their guns? A deadly glare took form on Souji's face. Alarmed, Chizuru started to step towards him.

"Okita-san, no!", Chizuru pleaded, already knowing what Souji was planning to do. However, more gunshots sounded off repeatedly. It was obviously a taunt, a challenge to Souji. He knew that it could have been a trap, but he was not going to allow those bastards get away. Souji's brows furrowed, but his eyes were tinted with guilt when he gazed at Chizuru. He knew she had high expectations from him, and he did want to cause her the same worry from yesterday. However, he had made up his mind.

"...Sorry", he apologized to Chizuru sincerely before dashing past her and disappearing within the streets of Kyoto.

"Okita-san!", Chizuru called after him desperately.

"Souji, wait!", Souji could hear Heisuke call out from a distance, but it was too late. Souji was already far ahead and heading towards the direction where the cruel sounds of the gunshots came from. Since he began rummaging through Kyoto, the night had silenced eerily; however, Souji's perception skills were keen, his ears could easily pick up on the trail where the vibrant banging of bullets have silenced. His instincts drove him, and he finally approached a dark and narrow alley. Then, he rapidly focused his hungry eyes on the small figure that stood in front of him. When Souji got closer, he immediately recognized who it was. He put a hand on the hilt of his sword in response.

"It's definitely a pleasure to see you again, Okita Souji-san", Kaoru's eyes were warm, but his smile was cynical. Souji stepped closer towards him and returned the same deadly grin.

"Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting to see you here", Souji chimed playfully, the dangerous edge was already apparent in his tone. Their meeting was not a coincidence. Judging by the look on Koaru's face, Souji was sure he had some involvement with the assault on Kondo. He hardened his face into a menacing glare and unsheathed his sword formidably. The blade reflected a ghastly light that urged for blood.

"Okita-san!", Souji could hear Chizuru running in from behind, but he focused his cold stare at Kaoru. He wished Chizuru would not have followed him, but then again, he should not have ran off on his own, so he could not possibly judge her for worrying about him. Still, he could not ignore that Kondo's potential murderer was standing just a few yards away.

"Did you shoot Kondo-san?", he got straight to the point. Chizuru finally caught up to him and her eyes widened when she noticed her devious twin.

"Koaru-san!", she exclaimed in surprise. The cruel smile on Kaoru's face faded immediately and his expression turned into a hard glare that was directed at Chizuru.

"Even though we're siblings, the last time you saw me you called me your enemy. And yet I'm still 'Kaoru-san' to you? Not 'You', or 'Bastard' or 'Monster'?", his voice had lost its cruel warmth, instead it turned darker and colder.

"So patronizing... I can't stand you", he sneered at Chizuru in a low voice. Nervously, Chizuru bit her lip, probably not sure how to respond to Kaoru's remark. Souji's eyes narrowed even further in annoyance. Although he could agree with Kaoru about how Chizuru should view him as a villain, he on the other hand would not hold back on anyone who defied Kondo. He did not care that Kaoru was Chizuru's brother. Anyone: friend or foe, young or old, man or woman, human or oni, who stood in Kondo's way would suffer a tortuous and gruesome end.

"Answer my question", he demanded coldly, already ticked off that Kaoru had ignored him. The wicked expression returned to Kaoru's face when he turned towards Souji.

"You're accusing me without evidence? Humans are so...", he trailed off before a harsh laugh escaped him, perhaps he was indulging on his inner insults. Whatever opinion Kaoru had for him, Souji could not care less. Neither had Kaoru obtained any sort of right to blatantly insult humans. Being an oni was no sort of a privilege, especially in Kaoru's case when he threatened to hurt one of his own, his sister, his blood.

"Ah yes, I think I do remember... I ran into some men from the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb", Kaoru sarcastically recalled. Was he referring to the Imperial Guard? The Shinsengumi had killed most of them the day they had assassinated Itou, however, a few members had escaped. Souji scowled. Even after his death, Itou was still a nuisance.

"They wanted to avenge Itou. You remember him? The man you deceived and murdered?", Kaoru continued. It was more like the other way around. Itou was the one trying to deceive the Shinsengumi and murder Kondo. If it were not for Saito, the Shinsengumi would have met their doom earlier.

"Unfortunately, they didn't have the courage to attack the magistrate's office. I...may have suggested they wait on a particular road, on a particular day", Kaoru spoke lightly. Souji's eyes narrowed with rage while his heart rate increased. He never liked Kaoru to begin with, but now, he hated him more than the lowliest of scoundrels that walked the earth, including himself, with outmost passion.

"Then...you-!", Chizuru put the pieces of the puzzle together, but Kaoru cut her off.

"Oh, don't misunderstand. I didn't mean for him to be _hurt_", his smile was derisive.

"I just never thought the chief of the Shinsengumi would be such an idiot! Only three guards? Why, he was practically asking to be shot!", Kaoru criticized rudely while his split grin never faded. Souji's face cringed into a snarl. His body immediately tensed, he was a second away from transforming into his fury state and launching himself towards Kaoru. However, Kaoru snapped his fingers and from the darkest shadows of the alley, several men appeared at command. Slightly stunned, Souji suddenly stopped and took note that all the men were armed with guns.

"What?!", Chizuru exclaimed in surprise while nervously snaking her hand to her sword. Kaoru used the open opportunity to distance himself from Souji and Chizuru, leaving them both at the center as bait to a school of sharks. Regardless, Souji was determined to annihilate them all. Despite how badly the situation and odds seemed, it did not threaten Souji at all. He knew from the start that he could have possibly run into an ambush. But Souji was a fury now, he could survive any injury so long as it was not directed to a vital organ. Even if the gunmen had perfect aim, Souji was confident enough that he could dodge all of their bullets with ease, and he could destroy all of the rapscallions in less than a minute with one swing of his sword.

"...That's a pretty obvious trap", the cruel teasing tone returned to Souji's voice.

"Oh, somebody's just sour grapes", Kaoru childishly retorted. Both monsters gazed at each other with the same cynical and deadly grins.

"Still, you_ are_ Okita Souji of the Shinsengumi. I don't think we can shoot you quite as easily", a small amount of disappointment was etched onto Kaoru's face.

"Your tone's kinda pissing me off, kid", Souji still managed to keep his voice light and playful. If Kaoru knew that he could not easily shoot Souji, then what was he planning? The grin dissipated from Souji's face.

"If you got something to say, how about you just say it?", Souji asked seriously, but it sounded more like a rude demand instead of a suggestion. Kaoru's smile grew wider, and it seemed as though he was trying to hold back a laugh.

"Oh, I wasn't talking to you", Kaoru responded before chuckling. He then glanced at the men who had surrounded Souji and Chizuru.

"I was just suggesting that these fine gentlemen shoot the weaker target first", he clarified eloquently. While he was speaking, the men had pointed all of their guns directly at Chizuru. She gasped in sudden realization and fright. Blood burning with hatred surged through Souji's veins. The menacing, cold, and deadly glare formed on his face once more when he turned his attention back to Kaoru.

"...Coward", Souji's voice had lowered to a lethal edge. Now Souji had more than one reason to hate the snobby kid. The boy had no decency or dignity to confront Souji head-on or honorably. Targeting a woman was the most shameful and disgraceful form of victory that only a coward would conduct. The twisted smile had fallen off from Kaoru's mouth.

"Call me what you want", he replied with a stoic, emotionless expression. With a small nod of his head, the sound of bursting gunpowder echoed through the alley. Without a moment to spare, Souji moved in front of Chizuru. All of the sudden, he was blasted with an unrecognizable surge of pang. The air from his lungs escaped harshly with a cacophonous sound of pain. He had taken all of the bullets. Large splotches of dark wet blood stained his skin and started to drench his clothes while it poured onto the dirt road. He weakly grabbed his shoulder where one of the bullets had landed. The crimson liquid trickled down his hand. His legs were about ready to buckle, but he desperately tried to stay firm.

"...You hurt?", he asked gently, but his voice was weakening. He gazed at Chizuru, who now stood next to him, with drooping eyes.

"No! No, I'm fine!", she answered with a panicky voice and expression. She was perfectly unscathed.

"Good...", a small sense of relief washed through Souji, but the pain was rapidly consuming his body. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced in his whole entire life. It was indescribable, the only thing Souji knew for sure was that it was the worst kind of physical pain his body had ever encountered. Despite his strong will that resisted, his body thought differently when it wavered. His body all at once weighed more than tons and it suddenly collapsed hard on the ground. He tried to remain conscious, but his eyes had automatically shut, and he could not force them open.

"Okita-san! Okita-san! Okitaaaa!", Souji could scarcely hear Chizuru yelling at him hysterically. He could barely feel Chizuru grabbing him desperately, compared to the agonizing pain that had immersed him. However, he could feel the faint and small wet texture of tears falling onto his face.

"It's _not_ okay! It's not _okay at all_!", her voice began to fade within Souji's head. It was difficult for him to breathe; for each breath he drew in, a low, but pained groan escaped from deep within his chest.

"I...I...!", her voice was heartbreaking as it broke while she tried to speak within sobs.

"If _you get_ hurt, that makes_ me sad too_!", her voice was losing its definition when Souji could no longer clearly process what she was saying. She clutched onto his body and drew it closer to hers while she endlessly called out his name. His senses where fogging briskly while his brain was shutting down. The last thing he could recall hearing was the echoing of his name being called repeatedly and the soft, but wicked laughter from the oni who stood several yards away. His consciousness surrendered into a dark and fitful sleep. Then, a hazy glimpse from his past was restored and began playing through his head...

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**Finally done with this chapter! "A Coward's Game" has officially concluded. I can promise you that the next chapter will be intriguing and long (I might have to split it up into parts again), but I'll do my best to make it worth reading. I tried my best to keep up with my promise that I made last week, so once again, thank you for patiently waiting for this chapter. Finally, my schedule seems to have calmed down a bit, and I'm so happy and glad my everyday life is no longer as stressful as it was just this past week. I'll still be busy from time to time, but I'll try with my best effort to post a chapter at least once a week. Please review/comment to tell me what you thought of this chapter, and as always, have an awesome day!**


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